Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Gulf Of Mexico
Wednesday, August 23, 2000 14:57 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

During cruise flight at 37,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico, the scheduled international passenger flight encountered severe turbulence after inadvertently penetrating rapidly developing convective formations. One of the flight attendants was seriously injured. When the turbulence encounter occurred, the flight crew was attempting to deviate around cloud formations. The flight crew reported that the seat belt sign was illuminated prior to the turbulence encounter and that the captain made an announcement to the passengers reminding them to remain seated with their seatbelts secured. It is unknown whether the flight attendant was seated or standing, or where she was positioned at the time of the event. Following the turbulence encounter, the flight diverted to a nearby airport and landed without further incident.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the flight crew's inadvertent encounter with convective turbulence while in cruise flight. A factor was the rapidly developing convective activity.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/23/2000
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1457
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City GULF OF MEXICO
Event State GULF OF MEXICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 00000
Event Date Year 2000
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Unknown
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) -60
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 45
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
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 13
Injury Total None 54
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 14
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 10664
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Aug 23 2000 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1900
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Oct 9 2001 3:21PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N657AM
NTSB Number FTW00LA244
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 757-223
Aircraft Series Identifier 757-223
Aircraft Serial Number 24615
Certified Max Gross Weight 0
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 --
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Aug 22 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 18
Airframe Hours 29566
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AMERICAN AIRLINES, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 619616
Aircraft Owner City DFW AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 75261
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 AALA
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 DFW
Departure City DALLAS/FT WORTH
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 1543
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SJU
Destination City SAN JUAN
Destination State PR
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 23 2001 4:00AM
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 --