- Date
- October 15, 2017, 10:22 UTC
- Place
- Honolulu, HI
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 11 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N342AXBoeing 767 328
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Clear air turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Night
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 96188
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 inadvertent encounter of clear air turbulence.
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
On October 15, 2017, at about 1022 universal coordinated time , Omni Air International, LLC, Boeing B-767-300ER, N342AX, was enroute to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (DFS), Honolulu, Hawaii, when the flight encountered turbulence that caused serious injuries to one "deadheading" cabin crew member. None of the other 11 crew members were injured and the airplane was not damaged. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 between Osan Air Base (OSN), Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea, to DFS. As the flight was descending through about flight level 315 over the Pacific Ocean, approximately 117 miles from DFS, the airplane entered a thunderstorm cell and encountered severe turbulence that lasted about 30 seconds. When the turbulence was encountered, an off duty "deadheading" cabin crew member was in the aisle near the aft lavatory and was thrown to the floor injuring her right ankle. After being notified of the injury, the flight crew contacted telemedical advisory services via voice satellite communications and was provided medical direction to stabilize the injured crew member. Emergency medical personnel met the airplane on arrival and the injured crew member was transported to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with fractures in the right lateral and medial malleolus. Analysis of digital flight data retrieved from the Aeromechanical Systems Airborne Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS) indicated that the airplane experienced vertical accelerations up to 1.78 g's and as low as 0.46 g's, with a change in rate of descent ranging from +240 feet per minute to -4,080 feet per minute. The flight crew reported no indication of precipitation or wind shear on the installed radar. The operator indicated that review of recorded telemetry reported by four other aircraft in the area equipped with The Weather Company Turbulence Auto-PIREP System (TAPS) showed no evidence of turbulence at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
On October 15, 2017, at about 1022 universal coordinated time , Omni Air International, LLC, Boeing B-767-300ER, N342AX, was enroute to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (DFS), Honolulu, Hawaii, when the flight encountered turbulence that caused serious injuries to one "deadheading" cabin crew member. None of the other 11 crew members were injured and the airplane was not damaged. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 between Osan Air Base (OSN), Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea, to DFS. As the flight was descending through about flight level 315 over the Pacific Ocean, approximately 117 miles from DFS, the airplane entered a thunderstorm cell and encountered severe turbulence that lasted about 30 seconds. When the turbulence was encountered, an off duty "deadheading" cabin crew member was in the aisle near the aft lavatory and was thrown to the floor injuring her right ankle. After being notified of the injury, the flight crew contacted telemedical advisory services via voice satellite communications and was provided medical direction to stabilize the injured crew member. Emergency medical personnel met the airplane on arrival and the injured crew member was transported to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with fractures in the right lateral and medial malleolus. Analysis of digital flight data retrieved from the Aeromechanical Systems Airborne Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS) indicated that the airplane experienced vertical accelerations up to 1.78 g's and as low as 0.46 g's, with a change in rate of descent ranging from +240 feet per minute to -4,080 feet per minute. The flight crew reported no indication of precipitation or wind shear on the installed radar. The operator indicated that review of recorded telemetry reported by four other aircraft in the area equipped with The Weather Company Turbulence Auto-PIREP System (TAPS) showed no evidence of turbulence at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N342AX
- Reported as
- Boeing 767 328 (328)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27136
- Built
- 1993
- Engines
- GE CF6-80C2B6F, 24,995 horsepower, turbo fanGE CF6-80C2B6F, 24,995 horsepower, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Omni Air International
- Registered owner
- Omni Aviation Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- RKSO · OSAN Air Base / Pyeongtaek
- Destination
- PHNL · Honolulu, HI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PHNL · Daniel K. Inouye International
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 17, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,125 total · 1,595 in this make and model · 3,025 as pilot in command
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 24, 2017
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Night
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 15, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 MB in all.