Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Georgetown Guyana
Wednesday, September 21, 1988 4:00 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AT APPROXIMATELY 0400 HOURS E.D.T. PAN AMERICAN FLIGHT #201 FROM NEW YORK TO RIO DE JANEIRO ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE AT FLIGHT LEVEL 370 IN THE VICINITY OF GEORGETOWN, GUYANA. SEVERAL PASSENGERS AT ROW 50 RECEIVED INJURIES. THE FASTEN SEAT BELT SIGN WAS ON AT THE TIME AND THE CAPTAIN HAD ANNOUNCED THE ILLUMINATION OF THE SIGN OVER THE PA SYSTEM.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INCIDENT THAT LED TO THE DEATH OF THE PASSENGER IN ROW #6 WAS APPARENTLY NOT RELATED TO TURBULENCE, BECAUSE THE PASSENGER DIED OF CHOKING TWO HOURS AFTER THE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER.

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 9/21/1988
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 400
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City GEORGETOWN
Event State --
Event Country GUYANA
Zipcode of the event site
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 9
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 0
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 Night/Dark
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 Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 10
Injury Total None 221
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 10
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5098
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39108
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:09PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9674
NTSB Number NYC88IA246
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 747-100
Aircraft Series Identifier 747-100
Aircraft Serial Number
Certified Max Gross Weight 775000
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 495
Number of Engines 4
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PAN AMERICAN AIRLINES
Aircraft Owner Street Address 200 PARK AVE
Aircraft Owner City NEW YORK
Aircraft Owner State NY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 10166
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code PA
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 No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code JFK
Departure City NEW YORK
Departure State NY
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code RIO
Destination City RIO DR JANEIRO
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --