# NTSB LAX07LA204: Boeing 747-422, N120UA, Oceanic, June 27, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 27, 2007, 11:27 UTC - Place: Oceanic - Coordinates: 11, -157 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=11.0000&lon=-157.0000&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 282 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 28, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: United Airlines - NTSB case key (mKey): 66174 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX07LA204 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/66174/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX07LA204 ## Probable cause An in-flight encounter with turbulence that resulted in serious injury to a flight attendant. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, cruise - weather condition - turbulence,clear air (cause) ## Analysis The flight experienced light chop while in cruise flight at FL330, and the flightcrew turned on the seatbelt sign. A few minutes later, they encountered moderate clear-air turbulence. The captain reported that there were no radar returns within 20 miles, and nothing more than green returns beyond. When the initial chop was encountered, the flight crew made an announcement over the public address system for the flight attendants to be seated. At the time of the moderate turbulence encounter, one flight attendant was entering the top crew rest bunk on the aft wall for a rest period. Her balance was not good because she did not have both feet on the ground at the time. When the airplane encountered the turbulence, she fell forward towards the wall. In response, she put her right hand out for protection. Losing her balance, she fell to the cabin floor sustaining a serious injury. The airplane did not incur any damage. ## Factual narrative On June 27, 2007, about 1127 Coordinated Universal time, a flight attendant sustained serious injuries during an in-flight encounter with unexpected turbulence while in cruise flight to Sydney, Australia, on United Airlines flight 863, a Boeing 747-422, N120UA. United Airlines (UAL), Inc., was operating the airplane as a scheduled domestic passenger flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121. The airline transport pilot, first officer, 2 relief first officers, 14 flight attendants, and 264 passengers were not injured; 1 flight attendant received serious injuries. The flight departed San Francisco, California, about 2322 Pacific daylight time, as a non-stop to Sydney. The airplane did not incur any damage. The operator reported that, prior to the encounter, the flight had experienced light chop while in cruise flight at FL330, and the flight crew turned on the seatbelt sign. About 5 minutes later, the flight crew reported that they encountered moderate clear-air turbulence. The captain reported that there were no radar returns within 20 miles, and nothing more than green returns beyond. The flight crew made an announcement over the public address system for the flight attendants to be seated. At the time of the encounter, one flight attendant was entering the top crew rest bunk on the aft wall in preparation for her second rest period. Her balance was not good because she did not have both feet on the ground at the time. When the airplane encountered the turbulence, she fell forward towards the wall. In response, she put her right hand out for protection. Loosing her balance, she fell to the cabin floor. The flight continued to its destination, and upon arrival she was taken to a hospital. As a result of medical information privacy laws, UAL did not learn for several days that she suffered a fracture to her right wrist. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N120UA](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N120UA), registered now, S/N 29166, built 1999 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Boeing 747-422 - Registry model: [Boeing 747-422](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-747-422) (registry code 1384935) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney PW4000 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pw4000-series) (registry code 52119, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 29166 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW 4000 turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: United Air Lines Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: KSFO, San Francisco, CA - Destination: YSSY, Sydney - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; seat: left; flight hours: 20,000 total - Co-pilot; age 58; injuries: none; airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; seat: right ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 240° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,500 ft broken - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 30.05 inHg - Observed at: PHKO ## Other investigations on N120UA (1) 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. - [NTSB DCA15WA015](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA15WA015), Oct 22, 2014: Boeing 747 422 (N120UA), Frankfurt, Germany, incident, minor damage 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.