Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pacific Ocean
Wednesday, January 20, 1999 12:30 GMT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The Continental Airlines Boeing 747-238B departed Tokyo en route to Honolulu on a regularly scheduled passenger flight. The crew reported that turbulence had been forecasted. Approximately 59 minutes after departure, while cruising at FL330 in dark night conditions, the captain observed a sudden fluctuation in outside air temperature and the aircraft entered an area of wave activity. The Captain illuminated the seat belt signs and within 5-8 seconds the aircraft encountered severe clear air turbulence (CAT) which lasted for approximately 10 minutes. The aircraft continued on to its destination of Honolulu, Hawaii. Review of meteorological information indicated two jet streams traversing the area, one at 34,000 feet at 160 knots, and the other to the south at 39,000 feet at 180 knots. The jet streams generally diverged in the area of the event. A satellite image taken at the time of the event indicated a band of high level clouds in the immediate area. The clouds were aligned in a 'band' formation oriented northwest to southeast, and perpendicular to the wind flow pattern. This pattern was similar to previous CAT encounters with transverse wave cloud patterns. No useful information was available from either the cockpit voice or flight data recorders.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
An encounter with Clear Air Turbulence at Flight Level 330.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 1/20/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1230 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Event State | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | -- |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -37 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 268 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 14 |
| Injury Total None | 340 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 14 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5001 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 20 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 830 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 27 2002 1:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\ZUZL |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N14024 |
| NTSB Number | SEA99IA032 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Boeing |
| Aircraft Model | 747-238B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 747-238B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 20534 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 785000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 450 |
| Number of Engines | 4 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 19 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 9 |
| Airframe Hours | 18109 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CONTINENTAL AIRLINES, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2929 ALLEN PARKWAY |
| Aircraft Owner City | HOUSTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 77019 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | CALA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | International |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger/Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NRT |
| Departure City | TOKYO |
| Departure State | OF |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1121 |
| Departure Time Zone | GMT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | HNL |
| Destination City | HONOLULU |
| Destination State | HI |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |