- Date
- March 26, 1997, 13:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Chamblee, GA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N332MCDassault Falcon 900B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970326039799A
- Case key
- 3835
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
an encounter with clear air turbulence, which led to injury of the flight attendant. A factor associated with the accident was: that the flight attendant was not being restrained by a seat belt.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
As the airplane was cruising at 31,000 feet, light turbulence was encountered. The flight was cleared to descend in preparation for landing at the destination airport. Passing through 30,000 feet, the airplane encountered moderate turbulence. As the airplane descended through 27,000 feet, there was a sudden drop of about 10 to 15 feet, which resulted in the flight attendant falling to the floor in the aft lavatory. Her fall resulted in a broken ankle.
Factual narrative
On March 26, 1997, about 1345 eastern standard time, a Dassault Falcon 900B, N332MC, encountered clear air turbulence, during descent, about 150 nautical miles north of Atlanta, Georgia. The airplane was operated by MCI Systemhouse Corporation under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and instrument flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. An instrument flight plan was filed for the positioning flight. There were no injuries to the two airline transport pilots, while the flight attendant was seriously injured. The airplane was not damaged. Origination of the flight, which was destined for Chamblee, Georgia, was Dulles International Airport, Washington, DC, about one hour prior to the accident.
According to the Captain, there was light turbulence at the cruise altitude of 31,000 feet. Once a descent was initiated, moderate turbulence was encountered at 30,000 feet. As the airplane descended through 27,000 feet, there was a sudden drop of about 10 to 15 feet which resulted in the flight attendant falling to the floor in the aft lavatory. Her fall resulted in a broken ankle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N332MC
- Reported as
- Dassault Falcon 900B (FALCON 900)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 078
- Airframe hours
- 6,390
- Engine
- Garrett TFE-731-5BR-1, 4,750 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Mci Systemhouse Corp.
- Registered owner
- Mci Transcon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 1, 1997 · 103 hours before
- Departed
- IAD · Washington, DC
- Destination
- PDK
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 10,494 total · 4,240 in this make and model · 9,141 as pilot in command · 149 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.