Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Friday, September 18, 1987 19:13 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT WAS IN A HOLDING PATTERN AT 11,000' IN AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS & TURBULENCE. ALTHOUGH THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS ON, TWO PASSENGERS (PAX) WENT TO THE AFT LAVATORY. AS ONE OF THE PAX WAS WAITING & THE OTHER WAS EXITING THE LAVATORY, THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS (F/A'S) TOLD THE PAX TO BE SEATED; HOWEVER, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME & THE PAX WAS THROWN AGAINST THE EXTENDED LEG OF A F/A, WHO WAS BRACING HERSELF IN A F/A SEAT. THE F/A SUFFERED A BROKEN LEG. ANOTHER F/A & 5 PAX RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/18/1987
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1913
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City PHILADELPHIA
Event State PENNSYLVANIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site
Event Date Year 1987
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 --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 1921 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 17
Weather Observation Facility ID PHL
Elevation of weather observation facility 21
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Partial Obscuration
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 2
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 30
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 17
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 6
Injury Total None 74
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 7
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2225
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 18 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1933
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35785
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:50PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N318AU
NTSB Number NYC87FA260
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 737
Aircraft Series Identifier 737
Aircraft Serial Number 22886
Certified Max Gross Weight 117000
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 --
Airframe hours since last inspection 256
Airframe Hours 12493
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name USAIR
Aircraft Owner Street Address WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner City WASHINGTON
Aircraft Owner State DC
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 20001
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name USAIR
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 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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MSY
Departure City NEW ORLEANS
Departure State LA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
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 10:30AM
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 --