- Date
- May 10, 1989, 21:55 local (May 11, 1989, 04:55 UTC)
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 93 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N972CAirbus Industrie A-300-B4-203
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890510066829A
- Case key
- 26405
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 unexpected encounter with clear air turbulence which seriously injured a passenger in the aft lavatory.
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
The Airbus A-300 was descending through 14000 feet MSL when it encountered moderate to severe clear air turbulence. The fasten seat belt sign had been turned on approximately four minutes prior to the encounter. A passenger was in the aft lavatory during the encounter and suffered a broken ankle. The ride prior to the turbulence was clear and smooth.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N972C
- Reported as
- Airbus Industrie A-300-B4-203 (A300-B4-20)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0289
- Airframe hours
- 9,887
- Engine
- GE CF6-50C2, 38,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Continental Airlines
- Registered owner
- Wilmington Trust Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 5, 1989 · 53 hours before
- Departed
- IAH · Houston, TX
- Destination
- SAN · San Diego, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 465 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 50 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.