# NTSB MIA03LA067: Boeing 777-223, N790AN, Miami, FL, February 25, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 25, 2003, 16:16 local (21:16 UTC) - Place: Miami, FL - Coordinates: 25.949722, -81.252502 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=25.9497&lon=-81.2525&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious, 131 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 28, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Boeing Aircraft Company, FAA FSDO, American Airlines, Association of Professional Flight Attendants - NTSB case key (mKey): 56544 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA03LA067 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56544/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA03LA067 ## Probable cause The flight crew's inadvertent encounter with turbulence while attempting to maneuver through an area of convective activity during descent. ## 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(thunderstorms) - flight into adverse weather - inadvertent, flightcrew ## Analysis While descending into Miami, the flight crew began deviating "well" south of a few small cumulous developments. They had begun reducing speed to turbulence penetration "prior to encountering a few pockets of light chop at about FL240." The captain gave a "PA to the FA'S and passengers leaving FL180, asking that the cabin be prepared for landing early, due to possible chop during our approach." They encountered a very brief pocket of moderate chop. The seatbelt sign was on, the cabin crew was in the process of securing the cabin for landing, and the purser had made the announcement for passengers to prepare for landing right after the captain's pre-landing announcement. Several minutes after the event, the number one flight attendant, advised the captain that two of the flight attendants in the aft part of the airplane had been injured during the turbulence event. A convective SIGMET was valid for Florida and coastal waters at the time of the turbulence encounter. Radar images from the Miami Weather Surveillance Radar (WSR-88D) identified multiple storm cells in the area at the time of the turbulence encounter. The radar data indicated that the core intensity of these cells was strong to intense (40 to 50 dBZ). A radar image taken about the time of the turbulence encounter shows the airplanes path came about five nautical miles from the core of one cell and three nautical miles from the core of a second cell. During this event, the airplane experienced a 2.04 g vertical acceleration load, 6 degree of left roll and a pitch change from -0.4 degrees to -2.1 degrees. ## Factual narrative On February 25, 2003, about 1616 eastern standard time, a Boeing 777-223, N790AN, operated by American Airlines Inc. (Flt AA1614), as a Title 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled domestic flight, encountered turbulence while on descent to Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane was not damaged. The two airline transport-rated pilots, six flight attendants, and 123 passengers reported no injuries. Two flight attendants reported serious injuries. The flight had departed from the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Arlington, Texas en route to Miami, Florida, at 1356 eastern standard time. According to the captain, while descending into Miami, they began deviating well south of a few small cumulous developments. The first officer was flying the airplane at the time of the event. They had begun reducing speed to turbulence penetration prior to encountering a few pockets of light chop at about FL240. The captain gave a public address system announcement to the flight attendants and passengers leaving FL180, asking that the cabin be prepared for landing early, due to possible chop during our approach. Air Traffic Control was advised of the speed reductions, and subsequently caused traffic behind them to also have to slow. As they approached the tops of a very thin cloud layer at about 11,000 feet, descending to 10,000 feet, at a speed of about 260 knots, they encountered a very brief pocket of moderate chop. Several minutes after the event, the number one flight attendant, advised the captain that two of the flight attendants in the aft part of the airplane had been injured during the turbulence event. She requested that medical assistance meet the airplane. According to interviews with the cabin crew, the seatbelt sign was on, they were in the process of securing the cabin for landing, and the purser had made the announcement for passengers to prepare for landing right after the captain's pre-landing announcement. During the turbulence encounter, most of the flight attendants reported being lifted off their feet, and thrown to the floor. Three of the flight attendants commented that they were able to steady themselves with hand holds which kept them from falling. Following the turbulence encounter, two flight attendants noted a passenger exiting a lavatory uninjured. A few passengers had left their seats following the turbulence encounter to assist the injured flight attendants. After arriving at the gate, paramedics boarded the airplane, then the passengers were deplaned, and two flight attendants were transported to the hospital by ambulance. Meteorological information obtained by an NTSB Meteorologist showed a convective SIGMET was valid for Florida and coastal waters at the time of the turbulence encounter. The convective SIGMET was issued in response to a developing area of thunderstorms moving from 260 degrees at 10 knots with tops extending to 32,000 feet. Radar images from the Miami Weather Surveillance Radar (WSR-88D) identified multiple storm cells in the area at the time of the turbulence encounter. The radar data indicated that the core intensity of these cells was strong to intense (40 to 50 dBZ). A radar image taken about the time of the turbulence encounter shows the airplanes path came about five nautical miles from the core of one cell and three nautical miles from the core of a second cell. The digital flight data recorder (DFDR) was removed from the airplane after the accident and sent to the NTSB Vehicles Recorder Laboratory, Washington, D.C. The recorder was in good condition, and the data were extracted normally from the recorder. The DFDR was downloaded to hard disk using NTSB readout equipment. The acquired accident data were verified for accuracy by examining take-off, cruise, and landing performance of the aircraft previously recorded on the medium. The data were found to be consistent with the normal operation of the aircraft. The DFDR recording contained approximately 98 hours of data. The accident flight was the third from the end of the recording and began at approximately Subframe Reference Number (SRN) 292056. The duration of the incident flight was approximately 2 hours 48 minutes. The turbulence event occurred approximately 2 hours 20 minutes into the flight at approximately SRN 298456, while the aircraft was descending through an altitude of approximately 12,836 feet, on a heading of 115 degrees. During this event, the data shows the aircraft with a 2.04 g vertical acceleration load and 6 degrees of left roll. The pitch changed from -0.4º at SRN 298456 to -2.1º at SRN 298457. The autopilot remained on throughout the event and was turned off at SRN 298781. The DFDR was returned by NTSB to American Airlines on July 12, 2004. Recorded radar data from the FAA Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center show that at about the time of the turbulence encounter the airplane was at position 25 degrees 56 minutes 50 seconds North latitude and 81 degrees 15 minutes 9 seconds West longitude, or about bearing 280 degrees at 53 nautical miles from Miami International Airport. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N790AN](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N790AN), registered now, S/N 30251, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Boeing 777-223 - Registry model: [Boeing 777-223](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-777-223) (registry code 1385213) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rolls-Royce RB-211 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-rb-211-series) (registry code 54555, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 30251 - Airframe hours: 9809 - Engines: Rolls-Royce Trent 892-17 93400 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: American Airlines Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, February 23, 2003, 16 hours before - Departed: KDFW, Arlington, TX - Destination: KMIA, Miami, FL - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: MIA, Miami International ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 54; injuries: none; flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 974 in this make and model, 221 in the last 90 days, 81 in the last 30 days, 7 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 45; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 2,500 total, 268 in this make and model, 153 in the last 90 days, 46 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 70° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 9,500 ft broken - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 29.98 inHg - Observed at: KMIA, 53 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030225004089A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030225004089A), Feb 25, 2003: Boeing 777223, Miami, FL. (-23) On February 25, 2003, about 1610 eastern standard time, a Boeing 777-223, N790AN, operated by American airlines inc. (flt. Aa 1614), as a title 14 CFR… ## Other investigations on N790AN (2) 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 DCA12WA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA12WA027), Jan 14, 2012: Boeing 777 (N790AN), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, incident, no damage - [NTSB DCA05WA042](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA05WA042), Mar 11, 2005: Boeing B777 (N790AN), Buenos Aires, Argentina, substantial 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.