# NTSB DCA09CA051: Boeing 767 332, N129DL, San Juan, PR, May 20, 2009

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report
- Date: May 20, 2009, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place: San Juan, PR
- Coordinates: 18.46907, -66.100692 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.4691&lon=-66.1007&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 4 minor, 263 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report August 24, 2016
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Major Investigations Division
- NTSB case key (mKey): 73916
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA09CA051
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73916/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73916
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA09CA051

## Probable cause

Inadvertent encounter with convective turbulence while in cruise.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Turbulence: convective turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Boeing 767-332, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md?model=1385101), [All aircraft, 145 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute-cruise: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) (defining event); cases with it: [Boeing 767-332, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=1385101), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md)

## Analysis

On May 20, 2009, at 1230 eastern daylight time, Delta Airlines flight 419, a Boeing 767, N129DL, encountered turbulence while enroute from Atlanta, Georgia, to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The captain stated that preflight information and enroute reports indicated only light chop for the flight and he communicated this to the flight attendants. About 10 minutes before the turbulence encounter, the captain turned on the seat belt sign and made an announcement for the passengers to remain in their seats with the seat belt fastened because they would be deviating around weather ahead. After deviating around the weather and with no weather returns on the radar, the flight encountered turbulence that lasted for about 20 seconds. At the time of the turbulence encounter, the airplane was in cruise at Flight Level 350. One of the flight attendants in the back of the airplane was thrown from her jump seat to the floor and injured. Two doctors and a nurse assisted the injured flight attendant. The flight crew declared an emergency and was given direct routing to San Juan. The injured flight attendant was transported to the hospital, where she was subsequently diagnosed with a fractured femur.

## Factual narrative

On May 20, 2009, at 1230 eastern daylight time, Delta Airlines flight 419, a Boeing 767, N129DL, encountered turbulence while enroute from Atlanta, Georgia, to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The captain stated that preflight information and enroute reports indicated only light chop for the flight and he communicated this to the flight attendants. About 10 minutes before the turbulence encounter, the captain turned on the seat belt sign and made an announcement for the passengers to remain in their seats with the seat belt fastened because they would be deviating around weather ahead. After deviating around the weather and with no weather returns on the radar, the flight encountered turbulence that lasted for about 20 seconds. At the time of the turbulence encounter, the airplane was in cruise at Flight Level 350. One of the flight attendants in the back of the airplane was thrown from her jump seat to the floor and injured. Two doctors and a nurse assisted the injured flight attendant. The flight crew declared an emergency and was given direct routing to San Juan. The injured flight attendant was transported to the hospital, where she was subsequently diagnosed with a fractured femur.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N129DL](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N129DL-2018-01-24), registration cancelled 2018-01-24, S/N 24079, built 1988 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 767 332 (332)
- Registry model: [Boeing 767-332](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-767-332) (registry code 1385101) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [GE CF6-80 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/ge-cf6-80-series) (registry code 30025, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 24079
- Year built: 1988
- Engines: GE CF6-80 SERIES turbo fan; GE CF6-80 SERIES turbo fan
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Operator: Delta Air Lines
- Registered owner: Delta Air Lines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Departed: Atlanta, GA
- Destination: San Juan, PR

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 60° at 15 knots, gusting 19
- Turbulence: Moderate

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20090520857189A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090520857189A), May 20, 2009: Boeing 767-332, San Juan, PR, No damage. On may 20, 2009, a delta B-767, registration N129DL, on a regularly scheduled flight from atlanta, Georgia, to San Juan, puerto rico, experienced turbulence…

## Docket (3 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 29, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73916. 8.7 MB in all.

- Flight Data Recorder 10 - Specialist's Factual Report (item 1, .PDF, 3.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40314743&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF
- Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 1 - FDR Tabular Data (item 2, .CSV, 5.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40314744&FileExtension=.csv&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Attachment%201%20-%20FDR%20Tabular%20Data-Master.csv
- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 3, .PDF, 243 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40443830&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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