# NTSB DCA21LA018: Boeing 777, N860DA, Anchorage, AK, September 30, 2020

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: September 30, 2020, 19:00 UTC
- Place: Anchorage, AK
- Coordinates: 61.173441, -149.98675 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.1734&lon=-149.9868&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 251 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): 102250
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA21LA018
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/102250/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102250
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA21LA018

## Probable cause

The airplane’s encounter with severe turbulence while flying over a mountain range during cruise.

## Findings

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

- [Turbulence: terrain induced turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Boeing 777-232, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010/cases.md?model=1385232), [All aircraft, 70 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010/cases.md)
- [Turbulence: terrain induced turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Boeing 777-232, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010/cases.md?model=1385232), [All aircraft, 70 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010/cases.md)
- [Turbulence: terrain induced turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Awareness of condition; cases with it: [Boeing 777-232, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010/cases.md?model=1385232), [All aircraft, 70 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

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

- [Enroute: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) (defining event); cases with it: [Boeing 777-232, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=1385232), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The airplane was in cruise flight when it encountered turbulence over the Aleutian Islands, a chain of mountainous volcanic islands west of the Alaskan peninsula. A flight attendant standing in the aft main cabin galley during the encounter fell onto the galley cart restraint latch, injuring her top left rib. She was subsequently diagnosed with a fractured rib. Post-accident examination of the weather data indicated that about the time of the injury, there was evidence of a short duration turbulence event while the aircraft flew over the Aleutian Islands. The flight crew did not recall any notable turbulence during the flight, and there were no pilot reports (PIREPs) or inflight weather advisories current for the area.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N860DA](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N860DA), registered now, S/N 29951, built 1999 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 777 (200-ER)
- Registry model: [Boeing 777-232](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-777-232) (registry code 1385232) (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: 29951
- Year built: 1999
- Airframe hours: 92159
- Engines: Rolls Royce Trent 892-17 93400 lbs thrust turbo fan; Rolls Royce Trent 892-17 93400 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Operator: Delta Airlines
- Registered owner: Delta Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, September 30, 2020
- Departed: PGUA, Yigo, Guam, PO
- Destination: PAED, Anchorage, AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Equipment: Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 61; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, unknown; last flight review June 24, 2020; seat: left; flight hours: 20,597 total, 8,655 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 24 hours
- Pilot; age 53; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, unknown; last flight review September 24, 2020; seat: right; flight hours: 12,823 total, 7,341 in this make and model, 97 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 24 hours
- Pilot; age 61; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; seat: right; flight hours: 21,232 total, 8,324 in this make and model
- Cabin crew; injuries: serious
- Cabin crew; injuries: none
- Cabin crew; injuries: none
- Cabin crew; injuries: none
- Cabin crew; injuries: none
- Cabin crew; injuries: none
- Cabin crew; injuries: none
- Cabin crew
- Cabin crew; injuries: none
- Cabin crew; injuries: none

## Weather

- Conditions: Not reported

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 19, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102250. 6.1 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 4.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12522825&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%206120_OG_Redacted1_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Flight crew statements (item 2, PDF, 3 pages, 633 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12523075&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FlightCrewStatements_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Flight attendant statement (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 85 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12523401&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FA_statement_redacted-Rel.pdf
- Meteorology summary from operator (item 4, PDF, 12 pages, 580 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12523299&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Meteorology%20Summary-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.

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