- Date
- February 8, 1999, 18:41 local (23:41 UTC)
- Place
- Raleigh, NC
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 4 minor, 133 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N433AAMcDonnell Douglas MD-80
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990208023969A
- Case key
- 45750
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
The flight encountered clear air turbulence while descending through 17,000 feet mean sea level (MSL).
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
According to the pilot, the airplane was descending through 17,000 feet for an approach into Raleigh, North Carolina when severe turbulence was encountered. The flight attendants were securing the passenger cabin and galley for landing at the time of the occurrence. The pilot reported that the fasten seat belt sign was on. According to the pilot, clear air turbulence was not forecasted. Examination, the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) revealed that the turbulence was encountered at an altitude of approximately 17,462 feet on a magnetic heading of approximately 144 degrees. The DFDR also indicated that during the turbulence, vertical acceleration reached a maximum of 2.05 G's and a minimum of -.49 G's.
Factual narrative
On February 8, 1999, at 1841 eastern standard time, a McDonnell Douglas, MD-80, N433AA, encountered severe turbulence, 10 miles southwest of the South Boston VOR during let down into Raleigh, North Carolina. Flight 1754, a scheduled domestic passenger flight, was operated by American Airlines under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 121 with an instrument flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was not damaged; the pilot, the first officer, and 131 passengers were not injured. Three flight attendants received minor injuries, and one flight attendant was seriously injured. The flight departed Chicago, Illinois, at 1718.
According to the pilot, the airplane was descending through 17,000 feet for an approach into Raleigh, North Carolina when severe turbulence was encountered. The flight attendants were securing the passenger cabin and galley for landing at the time of the occurrence. The pilot reported that the fasten seat belt sign was on. According to the flight crew, clear air turbulence was not forecasted.
The examination of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), a Sundstrand model UFDR, showed that the turbulence was encountered at an altitude of approximately 17,462 feet on a magnetic heading of approximately 144 degrees. The DFDR also revealed that during the turbulence, vertical acceleration reached a maximum of 2.05 G's and a minimum of -.49 G's. Lateral acceleration reached a maximum of .21 G's and a minimum of -.11 G's. Longitudinal acceleration reached a maximum of .1 G's and a minimum of -.02 G's. According to the data, the autopilot was turned off approximately six seconds after the turbulence began. The autopilot was turned on about seven seconds after it was turned off (see attached Flight Data Recorder Readout Report).
The seriously injured flight attendant sustained an L-1 compression fracture.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N433AA
- Reported as
- McDonnell Douglas MD-80
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 49451
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-919, 21,700 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- American Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- ORD · Chigago, IL
- Destination
- RDU · Raleigh, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- RDU · Raleigh Durham Inter, runway 23R, 10,000 × 150 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14,800 total · 1,264 in this make and model · 132 in the last 90 days · 69 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ROA, 80 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.