- Date
- October 18, 2013, 05:00 local (10:00 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 227 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N665UABoeing 767 322
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Clear air turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 88458
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 airplane's inadvertent encounter with clear air turbulence during cruise flight, which resulted in a serious injury to a flight attendant.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
While cruising at FL360 in smooth air conditions with no storms in the vicinity, the airplane experienced a 3 to 5 second encounter with clear air turbulence. The seatbelt sign was illuminated at the time. During the event a flight attendant fell and fractured her ankle. Following the brief turbulence encounter, the flight returned to smooth air conditions and later landed uneventfully at its intended destination.
Factual narrative
While cruising at FL360 in smooth air conditions with no storms in the vicinity, the airplane experienced a 3 to 5 second encounter with clear air turbulence. The seatbelt sign was illuminated at the time. During the event a flight attendant fell and fractured her ankle. Following the brief turbulence encounter, the flight returned to smooth air conditions and later landed uneventfully at its intended destination.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N665UA
- Reported as
- Boeing 767 322 (322)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 29237
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 55,168
- Engines
- P&W PW4000 SER, 24,900 horsepower, turbo fanP&W PW4000 SER, 24,900 horsepower, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- United Airlines
- Registered owner
- Wells Fargo Bank Na Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 21, 2013
- Departed
- SAEZ · Buenos Aires
- Destination
- IAH · Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Private, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 19, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 13,000 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 270° at 70 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Turbulence
- Moderate
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 2, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 396 KB in all.