Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Miami, Florida 33159
Saturday, July 14, 1990 15:49 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

FLT ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE WHILE DESCENDING THROUGH 12,300 FEET ON APPROACH TO MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. WEATHER STUDIES INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN AT LEAST MODERATE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AND NEAR AN AREA OF VERY HEAVY OR LEVEL 4 ACTIVITY. FLIGHT RECORDER DATA INDICATED PEAK G FORCES WERE ENCOUNTERED 40 SECONDS AFTER TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER. PEAK G FORCES WERE FROM 1.5 TO -0.5 G OVER A THREE SECOND PERIOD.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE INADVERTENT ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE TURBULENCE WHILE OPERATING IN AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/14/1990
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1549
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City MIAMI
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33159
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 7
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 1550 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 190
Weather Observation Facility ID MIA
Elevation of weather observation facility 10
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 15000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
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) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 21
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 330
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 800
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 18
Injury Total None 363
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 20
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 6028
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 14 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1800
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 43222
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 5:09PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number GAWNL
NTSB Number MIA90LA152
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 129: Foreign
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 747-136
Aircraft Series Identifier 747-136
Aircraft Serial Number
Certified Max Gross Weight 710000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class Foreign 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 4
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Jul 3 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 154
Airframe Hours 9113
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BRITISH AIRWAYS, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 10
Aircraft Owner City HOUNSLOW
Aircraft Owner State OF
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name BRITISH AIRWAYS
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address HEATHROW AIRPORT
Operator City LONDON
Operator State OF
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 00000
Operator Code BRAF
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 EGLL
Departure City LONDON
Departure State OF
Departure Country
Departure Time 630
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 --