- Date
- November 23, 2024, 23:00 local (Nov 24, 2024, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Brasilia, Brazil
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 232 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N753ANBoeing 777-223
- Defining event
- Enroute-climb to cruise: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 195541
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 encounter with unanticipated turbulence during cruise flight, which resulted in serious injury to one passenger who was not seated.
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
American Airlines flight 930 encountered unanticipated moderate turbulence while operating from São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (SBGR), São Paulo, Brazil to Miami International Airport (KMIA), Miami, Florida on a scheduled international passenger flight. During preflight preparations, the flight crew noted an area of weather instability north of São Paulo. The captain was the pilot monitoring, and the first officer was the pilot flying with another first officer on rest break. The seat belt sign was illuminated, and the flight crew briefed the cabin crew regarding potential turbulence. At 38,000 feet (FL380), after clearing the previously identified weather instability, the airplane encountered two successive jolts of moderate turbulence lasting about five seconds. The flight attendants (FAs) reported service was concluding and they were not seated at that time. Several FAs and one passenger sustained minor injuries when service items and carts became airborne. One passenger found on the floor near door 3L was seriously injured. After coordinating with the cabin crew and consulting with an onboard physician, the flight crew declared a medical emergency and returned to SBGR. The captain assumed the pilot flying duties and conducted an overweight landing on runway 10L without further incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N753AN
- Reported as
- Boeing 777-223
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30261
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 90,030
- Engines
- Rolls-Royc RB-211 SERIES, 22,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanRolls-Royc RB-211 SERIES, 22,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- American Airlines Inc
- Registered owner
- American Airlines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · November 23, 2024
- Departed
- SBGR · Sao Paulo, OF
- Destination
- KMIA · Miami, FL
- 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
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 · 3
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- 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
- November 23, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19,800 total
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 12, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 932 in this make and model
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Lowest ceiling
- 44,000 ft
- Turbulence
- Moderate
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 3, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 MB in all.