- Date
- July 14, 1990, 15:49 local (19:49 UTC)
- Place
- Miami, FL
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 18 minor, 363 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- GAWNLBoeing 747-136
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 32679
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
The inadvertent encounter with severe turbulence while operating in an area of thunderstorm activity.
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
Flt encountered severe turbulence while descending through 12,300 feet on approach to Miami international airport. Weather studies indicated the aircraft was in at least moderate thunderstorm activity and near an area of very heavy or level 4 activity. Flight recorder data indicated peak g forces were encountered 40 seconds after turbulence encounter. Peak g forces were from 1.5 to -0.5 g over a three second period.
Aircraft
- Registration
- GAWNL
- Reported as
- Boeing 747-136
- Category
- Airplane
- Airframe hours
- 9,113
- Engine
- P&W JT9D-7, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 129
- Operator
- British Airways
- Registered owner
- British Airways, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 3, 1990 · 154 hours before
- Departed
- EGLL · London, OF
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificates
- Foreign, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MIA, 20 nm away