# NTSB DCA82IA031: Boeing 727, N288WA, Washington, DC, September 3, 1982

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · Serious injuries · Incident investigation · Final report
- Date: September 2, 1982, 21:20 local (Sep 3, 1982, 01:20 UTC)
- Place: Washington, DC
- Location: 38.8951° N, 77.0364° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Washington, DC, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8951&lon=-77.0364&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor, 128 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report September 2, 1983
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Major Investigations Division
- NTSB case key (mKey): 72969
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA82IA031
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/72969/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA82IA031

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight encounter with weather, descent - normal
  - weather condition - turbulence (cause)
  - interpretation of instructions - conflicting, flight attendant (cause)
  - light condition - dark night (contributing factor)

## Analysis

THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE POSSIBILITY OF TURBULENCE DURING THE DESCENT AND APPROACH WAS MADE. DURING THE LULLS IN THE TURBULENCE THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE ATTENDING THEIR DUTIES AND WERE HURT WHEN INTERMITTENT JOLTS OF ROUGH AIR WERE ENCOUNTERED WHILE TWO OF ATTENDANTS WERE NOT BUCKLED IN THEIR SEATS. THE LANDING AT DCA WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N288WA (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 727
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 837
- Engines: P & W JT8D-9 14500 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Operator: Western Airlines, Inc.
- Registered owner: Western Airlines, Inc.
- Departed: MINNAPOLIS, MN
- Destination: RHV, SAN JOSE, CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: DCA, Washington National

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark
- Temperature: 32 °F
- Observed at: DCA

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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