- Date
- January 28, 1994, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ormond Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 208 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- VRBNKAirbus Industrie A-300 B4-203
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 18, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 37485
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 failure of the passenger to follow the visual and oral instructions of the crew to be seated and fasten seat belts.
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
While in level flight at FL310 the flight crew illuminated the seat belt sign and made an announcement for all passengers to be seated and attach their seat belts. The airplane encountered one jolt of turbulence and a passenger who was walking in the aisle fell and fractured her leg.
Factual narrative
On January 28, 1994, about 1230 eastern standard time, VRBNK, an Airbus A-300, operated by Air Jamaica, a scheduled, international, passenger flight from Baltimore, Maryland, to Montego Bay, Jamaica, encountered turbulence at flight level 310 in cruise flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an IFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was not damaged and one passenger received serious injuries. Two hundred eight were not injured. The flight originated from Baltimore, Maryland, about 1115 the same day.
Air Jamaica personnel reported the flight was cruising at flight level 310 clear of clouds when the airplane encountered one jolt of turbulence. The one passenger who received a fracture of the left leg was walking in the aisle at the time. The seatbelt sign was illuminated and the flightcrew had made an announcement for all passengers to be seated and attach their seatbelts The flight diverted to Miami, Florida, and the passenger was evacuated to a local hospital.
Evaluation of the weather in the area revealed that a combination of upper level high winds and radiative activity may have produced isolated turbulence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- VRBNK
- Reported as
- Airbus Industrie A-300 B4-203 (A-300 B4-2)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 247
- Airframe hours
- 20,782
- Engine
- GE CF6-50-C2, 50,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 129
- Operator
- Air Jamaica
- Registered owner
- Airbus Leasing Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · December 6, 1993 · 276 hours before
- Departed
- KBWI · Baltimore, MD
- Destination
- MKJS · Montego Bay, OF
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Foreign
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14,300 total · 6,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAB, 17 nm away