Incident Overview

Date: Wednesday 15 January 2003
Aircraft Type: Dassault Falcon 900
Owner/operator: Pistol Creek Financial Co.
Registration Number: N11WM
Location: west of HERZO intersection – ÿ Pacific Ocean
Phase of Flight: En route
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Component Affected: Aircraft Flight Control SystemAircraft Flight Control System
Investigating Agency: NTSBNTSB
Category: Accident
A Dassault Aviation Falcon 900EX flight from Seattle to Honolulu experienced intermittent turbulence and a shift in its flight path due to a cold frontal system. The aircraft encountered headwinds exceeding 100 knots, leading to a southward convergence and cloud cover. A passenger and attendant left the aircraft to use the lavatory, resulting in a period of moderate turbulence. Following this, the crew requested and received approval for a climb to FL 370.A Dassault Aviation Falcon 900EX flight from Seattle to Honolulu experienced intermittent turbulence and a shift in its flight path due to a cold frontal system. The aircraft encountered headwinds exceeding 100 knots, leading to a southward convergence and cloud cover. A passenger and attendant left the aircraft to use the lavatory, resulting in a period of moderate turbulence. Following this, the crew requested and received approval for a climb to FL 370.

Description

The Dassault Aviation Falcon 900EX, crewed by two airline transport rated pilots, and accompanied by four passengers, had departed Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington, en route to Honolulu International airport, Honolulu, Hawaii. The aircraft climbed to FL 340 and was then cleared to FL 360 as it progressed along airway A332. As the flight proceeded, it encountered intermittent light to occasionally moderate turbulence and the crew made repeated requests for a higher altitude through Air Traffic Control, but the requests were not approved. A little more than half way into the flight, the aircraft’s track began to converge obliquely with a cold frontal system extending southwest through the Hawaiian Islands, and the aircraft encountered headwinds of more than 100 knots approximately 30 degrees right of the aircraft’s track. Approximately 4 hours 17 minutes into the flight, the aircraft was operating in the tops of clouds with good visibility when a passenger and her attendant left their seats to use the lavatory located in the rear of the aircraft. During this time the aircraft encountered moderate turbulence for a period of ten seconds or less and the attendant sustained a fractured ankle. Immediately following the event the crew requested and received approval for a climb to FL 370. Probable Cause: The aircraft’s encounter with moderate turbulence in cruise.

Primary Cause

Moderate turbulence during cruise.Moderate turbulence during cruise.

Share on:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *