- Date
- June 29, 1994, 13:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- East Hampton, NY
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 minor, 163 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N606TWBoeing 767-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940629028449I
- Case key
- 38779
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
In-flight encounter with turbulence in the vicinity of thunderstorms. A factor related to the accident was: improper planning/decision by the pilot(s).
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 Boeing 767 was holding at FL240, between cloud layers, in an area of known thunderstorms. The passengers were seated and the seat belt sign was illuminated. The flight attendants were preparing the cabin for landing, when the airplane encountered turbulence. A flight attendant working in the forward cabin was thrown in the air; he subsequently received fractures of both ankles. Three other flight attendants received minor injuries.
Factual narrative
On June 29, 1994, at 1345 eastern daylight time, a Boeing 767-200, N606TW, operated as Trans World Airlines Flight 917, encountered turbulence while holding. One flight attendant received serious injures and three flight attendants received minor injuries. The airplane was not damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and flight 917 was operating on an instrument flight plan under 14 CFR Part 121.
Flight 917 departed Barcelona, Spain, and its destination was John F. Kennedy Airport, New York, New York. The captain reported the flight was holding over the Hampton VOR at FL 240 (24,000 feet). He also reported the seat belt sign was illuminated in the cabin and all passengers had been checked for seat belt usage. He described the turbulence as "very short" in duration.
According to an FAA report, and a telephone interview with the TWA Vice President of Safety and Engineering, a flight attendant was at work in the forward cabin, preparing the cabin for descent and arrival. The airplane encountered turbulence and the flight attendant was thrown into the air. Upon landing, he broke both ankles. The airplane was operating in visual meteorological conditions, between cloud layers, and thunderstorms were present in the area at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N606TW
- Reported as
- Boeing 767-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22569
- Airframe hours
- 37,227
- Engine
- P&W JT9D-7R4, 48,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Trans World Airlines
- Registered owner
- Security Pacific Eurofinance
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 24, 1994 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- KBCN · Barcelona,Spain, OF
- Destination
- KJFK · New York, NY
- 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 20,270 total · 2,838 in this make and model · 7,673 as pilot in command · 140 in the last 90 days · 53 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FOK, 22 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.