Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Memphis, Tennessee 38134
Saturday, May 4, 1991 17:40 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE FLIGHT WAS IN LEVEL CRUISE FLIGHT AT FL430. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT LEVEL 6 THUNDERSTOM ACTIVITY IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE TOLSA VOR AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND SIGMETS HAD BEEN ISSUED TO AND RECEIVED BY THE FLIGHT CREW ADVISING OF THIS ACTIVITY. THE FLIGHT CREW STATED THAT THE ONLY WEATHER BEING DEPICTED BY THEIR ON BOARD WEATHER RADAR WAS 40 MILES FROM THEIR POSITION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND NOT IN THEIR FLIGHT PATH. ACCORDING TO TRANSCRIPTS OF THEIR CONVERSATION WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PERSONNEL, APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES WEST OF THE TULSA VOR AND TWO MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE FLIGHT CREW REQUESTED AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO DEVIATE FROM THE ASSIGNED COURSE IN ORDER TO AVOID BUILDUPS IN THEIR FLIGHT PATH. THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT 10 TO 20 SECONDS. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED 3500 FEET BEFORE THE FLIGHT CREW WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT'S DESCENT. THE FLIGHT THEN DIVERTED TO MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE IN ORDER TO OBGAIN MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR THOSE PERSONS INJURED IN THE CABIN SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE DELAYED INFLIGHT DECISION BY THE PILOT TO MANEUVER THE AIRCRAFT AWAY FROM THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/4/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1740 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | MEMPHIS |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 38134 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1745 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 263 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TUL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 676 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 30 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Heavy |
| 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 | 11 |
| Injury Total None | 104 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 12 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1008 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 44842 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 9:57AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N651US |
| NTSB Number | ATL91LA091 |
| 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 | B767-287ER |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | B767-287ER |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24764 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 407000 |
| 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 | 252 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | USAIR |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RODNEY SQUARE NORTH |
| Aircraft Owner City | WILMINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19890 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | USAIR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2345 CRYSTAL DRIVE |
| Operator City | ARLINGTON |
| Operator State | VA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 22227 |
| Operator Code | USAA |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | LAX |
| Departure City | LOS ANGELES |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1509 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CLT |
| Destination City | CHARLOTTE |
| Destination State | NC |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 9:57AM |
| 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 | -- |