- Date
- July 24, 1984, 13:35 local (17:35 UTC)
- Place
- Key West, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 8 minor, 145 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- XAPIKMcdonnell Douglas DC-8-51
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 31175
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 captain reported that the seat belt sign was left on for the entire flt from Mexico city to miami. Aprx 50 mi from Key West, the flt began a descent from FL370. While descending thru about 11,500 ft, the acft encountered severe turbulence. At that time, the airspeed was 270 KTS & the acft was passing thru a cumulus cloud. One passenger suffered a serious injury, 4 passengers & 4 flt attendants received minor injuries. The flt crew continued to miami intl arpt & landed without further incident. A wx study revealed a large area of level 2 to level 5 thunderstorms along the route. There was a convective SIGMET for an area of thunderstorms with tops to 45,000 ft. the passengers stated that no previous announcements were made to warn them of possible turbulence, except for the seat belt sign. Injuries occurred when occupants were thrown about the cabin or against loose seat belts.
Aircraft
- Registration
- XAPIK
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-8-51
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 45685
- Airframe hours
- 61,922
- Engine
- P&W JT3D-313, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 129
- Operator
- Aeronaves De Mexico (Aomf, doing business as Aero Mexico
- Registered owner
- Aeronaves De Mexico
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- MEX · Mexico City
- Destination
- MIA · Miami, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- Unknown
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 17 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Observed at
- EWY, 20 nm away