- Date
- March 23, 1996, 09:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Taos, NM
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 140 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N503UABoeing B-757-222
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 6, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960323007359A
- Case key
- 19791
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
an encounter with unforecasted clear air turbulence.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While in cruise flight at flight level 330, the flight encountered unforecasted and unexpected clear air turbulence. An elderly passenger who was in the aisle fell and struck her arm on a seat armrest. The seat belt sign was off.
Factual narrative
On March 23, 1996, at 0920 mountain standard time, a United Air Lines Boeing 757-222, N503UA, encountered unforcasted clear air turbulence in the vicinity of Taos, New Mexico, while in cruise flight at flight level 330. The crew of two pilots and five flight attendants were not injured, and 1 of the 134 passengers received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this Title 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled air carrier flight en route from Orange County Airport, Santa Ana, California, to O'Hare Airport, Chicago, Illinois, and an IFR flight plan was filed. The flight had been airborne approximately one hour and 30 minutes.
According to the crew, the flight encountered unforecasted and unexpected clear air turbulence. The seat belt sign was not illuminated, and an elderly passenger, who was on her way to the lavatory, fell and struck her arm on an arm rest. She received initial treatment from a physician who was on the flight and the flight was met by paramedics upon arrival. They determined the passenger had broken the humerus in her right arm.
At the time the accident occurred, there were no pilot reports or other informational notices regarding turbulence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N503UA
- Reported as
- Boeing B-757-222 (B757-222)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5003/24624
- Airframe hours
- 20,084
- Engine
- P&W 2037M, 38,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- United Air Lines, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 30, 1995 · 1,665 hours before
- Departed
- SNA · Santa Ana, CA
- Destination
- ORD · Chicago, IL
- 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 17,804 total · 578 in this make and model · 180 in the last 90 days · 57 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.