Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Tuesady, April 23, 1985 15:23 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRCRAFT WAS PARALLELING A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS AND NEEDED TO GET ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LINE TO GET TO HIS DESTINATION. THE CENTER CONTROLLER SUGGESTED THAT HE REVERSE COURSE TO FLY AROUND THE CLOSER END OF THE LINE BUT THE PILOT DECIDED TO PENETRATE THE LINE INSTEAD. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS BETWEEN TWO THUNDERSTORM CELLS AT LEAST 45 NM APART WHEN THE AIRCRAFT RAN INTO SEVERE TURBULENCE. THE AIRCRAFT LOST 500 FT OF ALTITUDE AND TWO FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE INJURED. THEY WERE INSTRUCTED TO SIT DOWN EARLIER BUT DID NOT HAVE TIME TO STRAP IN. A PASSENGER ON HIS WAY TO THE LAVATORY REFUSED TO SIT DOWN WHEN INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS AND WAS INJURED ALSO DURING THE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/23/1985 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1523 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | LITTLE ROCK |
| Event State | ARKANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 72201 |
| Event Date Year | 1985 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| 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 | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1551 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 193 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 258 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 15000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2391 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 23 1985 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2320 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 29803 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Unknown |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N856AA |
| NTSB Number | CHI85FA174 |
| 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 | 727-223 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 727-223 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 20997 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 142000 |
| 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 | 134 |
| Number of Engines | 3 |
| 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 | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CONNECTICUT NATIONAL BANK |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 777 MAIN ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | HARTFORD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 06115 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AMERICAN AIRLINES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 61616 |
| Operator City | DALLAS |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 75261 |
| 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 | Domestic |
| 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 | IAH |
| Departure City | HOUSTON |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1439 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ORD |
| Destination City | CHICAGO |
| Destination State | IL |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |