Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Detroit, Michigan 48242
Friday, August 4, 1995 22:48 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN CLEARED TO DESCEND FROM FL410 TO FL230. THE ATC CONTROLLER AMENDED THE CLEARANCE TO FL270 SO THE FLIGHT WOULD HAVE A BETTER 'RIDE.' SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING OFF AT FL270, 25 NM EAST OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, SUDDEN, MODERATE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED. A PASSENGER WHO WAS EXITING THE LAVATORY AT THE TIME FELL AND WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT CREW STATED THE WEATHER RADAR DID NOT SHOW ANY WEATHER ON THE 80 MILE SCAN. THE SEAT BELT SIGN HAD BEEN ILLUMINATED ABOUT 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER AND THE CAPTAIN MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE PASSENGERS TO EXPECT 'BUMPS' ON THE APPROACH. THE AIRPLANE'S LAVATORIES ARE EQUIPPED WITH A PUBLIC ADDRESS SPEAKER, A FLIGHT ATTENDANT CALL BUTTON, AND A 'RETURN TO SEAT' SIGN THAT IS ILLUMINATED WHEN THE CABIN SEAT BELT SIGN IS ACTIVATED. THE COMPANY'S DISPATCH/WEATHER DEPARTMENT'S WEATHER DATA SHOWED THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FLYING IN AN AREA OF 3/10'S COVERAGE OF LEVEL THREE AND FOUR THUNDERSTORMS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the flight's encounter with turbulence.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/4/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2248 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | DETROIT |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 48242 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| 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 | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1056 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 110 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DTW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 636 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 60 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 126 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 867 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 14 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1110 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N509US |
| NTSB Number | CHI95LA271 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | 757 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 757 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23198 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 227500 |
| 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 | 195 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | 1ST NAT'L BANK BOSTON, TRUSTEE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 150 ROYALL ST. |
| Aircraft Owner City | CANTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 02021 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | NORTHWEST AIRLINES, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5101 NORTHWEST DR |
| Operator City | ST. PAUL |
| Operator State | MN |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 55111 |
| Operator Code | NWAA |
| 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 | Domestic |
| 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 | SFO |
| Departure City | SAN FRANCISCO |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1510 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | DTW |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | MI |
| 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 | -- |