# NTSB DCA19CA088: Boeing 777, N771AN, Honolulu, HI, February 27, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: February 27, 2019, 13:30 local (23:30 UTC) - Place: Honolulu, HI - Coordinates: 21.318611, -157.430831 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=21.3186&lon=-157.4308&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor, 217 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - NTSB case key (mKey): 99042 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA19CA088 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/99042/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99042 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA19CA088 ## Probable cause the airplanes encounter with clear air turbulence. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Turbulence: clear air turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032015): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Boeing 777-223, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032015/cases.md?model=1385213), [All aircraft, 78 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) (defining event); cases with it: [Boeing 777-223, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=1385213), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md) ## Analysis On February 27, 2019, about 1338 Hawaii standard time, American Airlines flight 123, N771AN, a Boeing B777-200, encountered clear air turbulence during initial descent to Honolulu International Airport (PHNL), Honolulu, Hawaii. Of the 219 passengers and crew onboard, one flight attendant received serious injuries and one received minor injuries. The airplane was not damaged. The regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight was operating under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW), Dallas, Texas, to PHNL. The captain was the pilot flying and the first officer was monitoring. The flight had been unremarkable, with a smooth ride while cruising at FL380, in good visual meteorological conditions (VMC). The flight crew stated that about 15 mins before decent they checked the weather with Honolulu Control Facility (HCF) and was informed of turbulence "light to moderate all alts". The captain called the purser and informed him of the expected turbulence and to prepare for the arrival early by stowing the carts and securing the cabin. The seat belt sign was on. About 15 minutes later, they began their initial descent and encountered moderate to severe clear air turbulence about FL310, which lasted about 10 to15 seconds. The ride smoothed out at about FL290, and the flight crew then received a call from the cabin, indicating that two flight attendants in the aft galley had been injured. After landing both injured flight attendants were transported to a hospital where one was diagnosed with a fractured vertebra. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N771AN](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N771AN), registered now, S/N 29579, built 1999 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Boeing 777 (223) - Registry model: [Boeing 777-223](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-777-223) (registry code 1385213) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rolls-Royce RB-211 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-rb-211-series) (registry code 54555, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 29579 - Year built: 1999 - Airframe hours: 80857 - Engines: Rolls-Royce Trent 892 turbo fan; Rolls-Royce Trent 892 turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: American Airlines - Registered owner: American Airlines Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, February 26, 2019 - Departed: KDFW, Dallas/Fort Wor, TX - Destination: PHNL, Honolulu, HI - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review July 25, 2018; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 13,476 total, 1,383 in this make and model - Co-pilot; age 64; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review September 13, 2018; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 17,623 total, 1,573 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 10 statute miles ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 25, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99042. 3.6 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13290104&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=AA%20%23123%2027FEB19%206120%20(Final)_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Employee statements - capt (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 513 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13289750&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20statement%20Captain%20Tom%20Schickedanz%20AA%20Flight%20123-Rel.pdf - Employee statements - fo (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 504 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13290035&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20statement%20First%20Officer%20Tom%20Ballantyne%20AA%20Flight%20123-Rel.pdf - Employee statements - first officer (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 486 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13290178&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20Statement%20Wesley%20Neely%20Flight%20123-Rel.pdf - Employee statements - fa drake (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 56 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13313816&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FA%20Drake%20Text%20Only-Rel.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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.