- Date
- October 19, 2011, 20:48 local (Oct 20, 2011, 00:48 UTC)
- Place
- New York, NY
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 215 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N253AYBoeing 767-2B7
- Defining event
- Enroute-climb to cruise: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111019027969A
- Case key
- 82120
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 passenger's lack of compliance with the illuminated seatbelt sign, which resulted in her injury during a turbulence encounter.
Findings · 2
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
According to the flight crew and a flight attendant, about 15 minutes after departure, the airplane was climbing through flight level 220. Although the captain had allowed the use of approved portable electronic devices (PED) as the airplane climbed above 10,000 feet, the fasten seatbelt sign remained illuminated. When the PED allowance was announced, a couple of passengers began to move about the cabin, including one that went to the lavatory. As the passenger was exiting the lavatory and returning to her seat, the airplane encountered unforecast moderate turbulence. The passenger fell down in the aisle and suffered a fractured ankle.
Factual narrative
According to the flight crew and a flight attendant, about 15 minutes after departure, the airplane was climbing through flight level 220. Although the captain allowed the use of approved portable electronic devices (PED) as the airplane climbed above 10,000 feet, the fasten seatbelt sign had remained illuminated for the climb. When the PED use was allowed, a couple of passengers began to move about the cabin, including one that went to the lavatory. As the passenger was exiting the lavatory and returning to her seat, the airplane encountered unforecast moderate turbulence. The passenger subsequently fell down in the aisle and suffered a fractured ankle. The flight returned to the departure airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N253AY
- Reported as
- Boeing 767-2B7
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24894
- Engines
- GE CF6-80C2B2, 51,000 lbs thrust, turbo jetGE CF6-80C2B2, 51,000 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- US Airways Inc
- Registered owner
- Wells Fargo Bank Northwest Na Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- KPHL · Philadelphia, PA
- Destination
- EDDF · Frankfurt
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- Check pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 8, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14,301 total · 1,917 in this make and model · 6,200 as pilot in command · 130 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 15, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 24,130 total · 1,142 in this make and model · 11,712 as pilot in command · 0 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Wind
- 70° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.48 inHg
- Observed at
- KJFK
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 20, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.