Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Bermuda Bangladesh
Monday, September 28, 1987 15:43 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRUISING AT FL310 EN ROUTE BETWEEN PUERTO RICO AND NEW YORK WHEN IT ENCOUNTERED CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE. SEVERAL PASSENGERS AND FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE THROWN ABOUT THE CABIN OF THE AIRCRAFT. ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT RECEIVED A BROKEN WRIST. THE FLIGHT DIVERTED TO BERMUDA WHERE THE INJURED PASSENGERS WERE TREATED AND RELEASED. THE FLIGHT CREW SAID THEY WERE OPERATING IN CIRRO-STRATUS CLOUDS AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE AND NO ECHOES WERE BEING SHOWN ON THE AIRBORNE RADAR. THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE AND THE CAPTAIN SAID IN AN INTERVIEW THAT HIS NORMAL PROCEDURE WAS TO KEEP THE SIGN ON AT ALL TIMES.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

ENCOUNTER WITH UNDETECTABLE CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/28/1987
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1543
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City BERMUDA
Event State ATLANTIC OCEAN
Event Country BANGLADESH
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
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 31000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
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) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 38
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) 0
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 39
Injury Total None 99
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 40
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2662
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 28 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1830
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 40010
Date of most recent change to record Mar 20 2003 2:53PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\ZUZL
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N317EA
NTSB Number NYC87FA264
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 LOCKHEED
Aircraft Model L-1011
Aircraft Series Identifier L-1011
Aircraft Serial Number 193A-1038
Certified Max Gross Weight 450000
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 316
Number of Engines 3
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection May 10 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 35499
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name EASTERN AIRLINES INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address MIAMI INTL. AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner City MIAMI
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name EASTERN AIRLINES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address MIAMI INT'L AIRPORT
Operator City MIAMI
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 33148
Operator Code EALA
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 SJU
Departure City SAN JUAN
Departure State PR
Departure Country
Departure Time 1651
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code JFK
Destination City JAMAICA
Destination State NY
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 20 2002 12:42PM
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 --