Boeing 767-232 N113DA

Summary

On 11 July 2005 at about 23:00 local time, a Boeing 767-232 registered N113DA was involved in an accident near Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, United States. 187 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 July 2005 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.4000, -80.6667

Aircraft

Boeing 767-232

Registration

N113DA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Atlanta → New York

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

DCA05MA083

1 person was seriously injured.

An inadvertent in-flight encounter with clear air turbulence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The captain stated that after takeoff he waited until FL370, and well past the line of weather, to turn off the seat belt light. The flight was smooth for about 10 to 15 minutes, and they transited in and out of cirrus clouds, with the weather radar being used to scan from the 160 to 40 mile range, and with no weather being noted. As the flight progressed he said they encountered moderate turbulence for about 10 to 15 seconds, and he immediately made an announcement for the flight attendants and passengers to sit. Shortly thereafter the captain said he was informed that a flight attendant had been injured. The first officer stated that as the flight climbed they easily transited between two cells, entered clear skies, and was in smooth air. The seat belt sign had been turned off, and the captain continued searching the area with the weather radar. The first officer said that although there were some intermittent high cirrus clouds, there was no weather that would pose problems along the route of flight. About 10 to15 minutes after level-off, the first officer said the airplane hit what he would call severe turbulence, and both he and the captain were tossed about in their seats. They were initially unable to either grab the flight controls, or turn on the seat belt sign, and after the initial big bump, the first officer said "he grabbed the controls (it was my leg), and followed through with the thrust levers and yoke." According to the first officer, as soon as able the captain turned on the seat belt sign, made the announcement for everyone to sit down, and they soon heard a flight attendant make an announcement asking for a doctor. All flight attendants provided statements that were consistent, affirming that there had been turbulence, and that the seat belt sign was not lit during the turbulence prior to the accident. The NTSB conducted studies of airplane's DFDR, as well a study of the weather around the time of the accident. Examination of the DFDR revealed information affirming that the autopilot had been engaged, and consistent with there having been an encounter with turbulence. The weather study examined many weather products and provided data consistent with there being convectively induced turbulence in the vicinity of strong to severe thunderstorms.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.