Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pacific Ocean
Wednesday, June 9, 1999 2:45 GMT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While en route from Singapore to Narita, Japan, a flight attendant proceeded to transfer a serving cart from the main deck to the upper deck. As the flight attendant pushed the cart into the lift, the lift began to move. The lift continued to raise, catching the edge of the cart and lifting it off the ground, trapping the flight attendant between the other end of the cart and the galley counter opposite the lift. As the cart was raised off the floor, the flight attendant was lifted off her feet and her body was pushed on top of the galley counter. The cart continued to rise, pinning the flight attendant's face between the cart and the bins above the galley counter. An inspection of the galley lift after landing revealed a piece of cardboard had been inserted into the interlock safety switch, disabling it, and by doing so, the galley lift can be operated without closing the galley lift door. This condition is known to have been caused, in other incidents, by food service personnel to expedite loading of food service aboard the aircraft.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
intentional tampering/altering of a galley lift interlock microswitch by unknown persons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/9/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 245 |
| 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 | 6 |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| 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 | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| 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) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| 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 | 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 | 325 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1442 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 9 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1045 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 11:39AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N198UA |
| NTSB Number | LAX99LA212 |
| 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 | 747-422 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 747-422 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28716 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 875000 |
| 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 | 391 |
| Number of Engines | 4 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 17 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 4002 |
| Airframe Hours | 8439 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | UNITED AIRLINES INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 99100 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHICAGO |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60666 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | UNITED AIRLINES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1200 EAST ALONQUIN ROAD |
| Operator City | ELK GROVE TOWNS |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 60007 |
| Operator Code | UALA |
| 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 Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SIN |
| Departure City | SINGAPORE |
| Departure State | OF |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 725 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | NRT |
| Destination City | NARITA |
| Destination State | OF |
| 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 | -- |