- Date
- October 31, 1997, 20:32 local (Nov 1, 1997, 01:32 UTC)
- Place
- Jacksonville, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 17 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N988HAde Havilland DH-8-201
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 2, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971031040859A
- Case key
- 38421
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The passengers failure to secure her seatbelt as directed by the flight crew (seatbelt sign illuminated) on initial takeoff climb resulting in her ejection from her seat during an encounter with turbulence.
Analysis
The PIC stated he was on initial climb passing through 4,500 feet when the airplane encountered severe turbulence. The weather radar was on the 50 mile range with no weather depicted except for rain showers. The seatbelt sign was illuminated. A passenger who unbuckled her seatbelt was ejected from her seat and sustained serious injury.
Factual narrative
On October 31, 1997, about 2032 eastern standard time, a Dehavilland DH-8-201, N988HA, registered to Wilmington Trust Company, and operated by U.S. Air Express as flight 3040, a 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled domestic passenger flight from Jacksonville, Florida, to Tampa, Florida, encountered severe turbulence on climbout while passing through 4,500 feet. The pilot requested and received clearance back to the departure airport. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained no damage. The airline transport-rated pilot-in-command (PIC), first officer, 1 flight attendant and 14 passengers reported no injuries. One passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight originated from Jacksonville International Airport, Jacksonville, Florida, about 2 minutes before the accident, and returned to the destination airport without further incident.
The PIC stated they were passing through 4,500 feet when they encountered severe turbulence which lasted about a microsecond. The weather radar was on the 50-mile range with no weather depicted, except for rain showers. The seatbelt sign was illuminated. The flight attendant informed them after the turbulence encounter that a passenger sustained a broken leg. The passenger stated to the flight attendant and the PIC, "she could not believe how stupid she was for not fastening her seat belt."
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N988HA
- Reported as
- de Havilland DH-8-201
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 426
- Engine
- turbo prop
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- U.S. Air Express
- Registered owner
- Wilmington Trust Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- JAX
- Destination
- TPA · Tampa, 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
- 42
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,706 total · 9,108 in this make and model · 210 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Observed at
- JAX
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.