Incident Overview

Date: Thursday 15 July 2010
Aircraft Type: Boeing 767-332ER (WL)
Owner/operator: Delta Air Lines
Registration Number: N184DN
Location: Pacific Ocean – ÿ Pacific Ocean
Phase of Flight: En route
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 202
Component Affected: AirplaneAirplane
Investigating Agency: NTSBNTSB
Category: Accident
A flight experienced turbulence due to scattered cloud build-ups, with radar data unavailable. An attendant fell to the floor during the encounter. Satellite imagery indicated an area unsuitable for turbulence, and vertical acceleration data showed fluctuations during the event. The incident was likely caused by an inadvertent encounter with clear air turbulence.A flight experienced turbulence due to scattered cloud build-ups, with radar data unavailable. An attendant fell to the floor during the encounter. Satellite imagery indicated an area unsuitable for turbulence, and vertical acceleration data showed fluctuations during the event. The incident was likely caused by an inadvertent encounter with clear air turbulence.

Description

According to the captain of the flight, at the time of the turbulence encounter he was navigating around scattered cloud build-ups. Nothing was showing on radar. The injured flight attendant stated that she was walking down the aisle between the mid galley and the aft galley and fell to the floor at the time of the turbulence encounter. According to the operator, no turbulence was forecast for the area in which the airplane was flying at the time of the turbulence encounter. In addition, satellite imagery revealed that the airplane was in an area not conducive to turbulence when the event occurred. According to the flight data recorder, the vertical acceleration during the turbulence encounter varied between 1.5 g and -0.3 g. The encounter lasted about 5 seconds. Probable Cause: an inadvertent encounter with clear air turbulence.

Primary Cause

Inadvertent encounter with clear air turbulence.Inadvertent encounter with clear air turbulence.

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