Boeing 757 N657DL

Summary

On 16 May 2009 at about 15:45 local time, a Boeing 757 registered N657DL, operated by Delta Air Lines, Inc., was involved in an accident near Cuba, Cuba. 189 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 4 had minor injuries. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 May 2009 at 15:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Cuba, Cuba

Coordinates

23.1167, -81.2333

Aircraft

Boeing 757

Registration

N657DL

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Delta Air Lines, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Atlanta → George Town

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09LA418

1 person was seriously injured.

An unanticipated inflight encounter with turbulence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was at flight level 350 with the autopilot engaged, and about 35 to 40 minutes from its destination, when it encountered severe turbulence. The captain had turned the seat belt light on 5 to 10 minutes before the turbulence, and the first officer had made the public address announcing that everyone needed to remain seated with their seatbelts fastened. Suddenly, the airplane encountered severe turbulence and climbed rapidly to about 500 feet above the assigned altitude; the autopilot then disengaged. The captain took control of the airplane and slowly lowered the nose. As the captain leveled the airplane, the nose pitched down and the airplane descended about 500 feet below the assigned altitude before leveling and departing the area of turbulence. At the time of the encounter, the airplane was in a layer of haze. There was no heavy precipitation noted on the radar, and no build-ups visible to the flight crew. One passenger was seriously injured, and two passengers and two flight attendants sustained minor injuries.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.