- Date
- January 6, 1995, 09:20 local (15:20 UTC)
- Place
- Monroe, LA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 69 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N981DLMcDonnell Douglas MD-88
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 22, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950106001249A
- Case key
- 37720
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 in-flight encounter with weather during a climb, resulting in an injury to a flight attendant who got out of her seat to perform a duty.
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 stated that the airplane encountered light-to-moderate turbulence on climb-out. The cabin seat belt signs were illuminated, and the flight attendants were briefed to remain seated. The airplane weather avoidance radar was on and no significant weather was present on the radar screen. An overhead compartment had opened up in the cabin area, and a flight attendant got up to secure the compartment. The airplane encountered a couple seconds of intense moderate turbulence, and the flight attendant collided with the cabin overhead panels. The flight diverted to another airport to obtain medical treatment for the injured flight attendant. Review of the digital flight data recorder revealed the airplane experienced a vertical excursion of 1.9 g's.
Factual narrative
On January 6, 1995, about 0920 central standard time, a McDonnell Douglas MD-88, N981DL, registered to Wilmington Trust Company, operated by Delta Air Lines Inc., as a 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled, domestic, passenger flight, encountered turbulence on climbout about 30 miles east of Monroe, Louisiana. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was not damaged. The airline transport pilot- in-command, airline transport first officer, 2 flight attendants, and 66 passengers were not injured. One flight attendant sustained a serious injury. The flight originated from Monroe, Louisiana, about 4 minutes before the accident, and diverted to Jackson, Mississippi.
The pilot-in-command stated the airplane encountered light to moderate turbulence on climb-out. The cabin seatbelt signs were illuminated and the flight attendants were briefed to remain seated. The airplane weather avoidance radar was on and no significant weather was present on the radar screen. An overhead compartment had opened up in the cabin area, and a flight attendant got up to secure the overhead compartment. The airplane encountered a couple of seconds of intense moderate turbulence, and the flight attendant collided with the cabin overhead panels.
The digital flight data recorder (DFDR) was removed from the airplane by Delta Airlines personnel for retrieval and analysis. Examination of the DFDR revealed the airplane was climbing through 9,187 feet when the airplane was subjected to intense vertical acceleration (or "g") activity for about 2 1/2 seconds. The DFDR revealed a peak "g" value of 1.771 to a minimum value of -0.276 for a total of 1.9 "g" excursion.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N981DL
- Reported as
- McDonnell Douglas MD-88
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 53268
- Airframe hours
- 10,507
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-219, 21,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Delta Airlines
- Registered owner
- Wilmington Trust Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- AAIP · January 5, 1995 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- MLU · Monroe, LA
- Destination
- PNS · Pensacola, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, 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
- 11,336 total · 2,769 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLU, 12 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.