Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Springfield, Missouri 65721
Thursday, April 18, 2002 16:35 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The air carrier passenger flight encountered severe turbulence while in cruise flight. Three passengers were seriously injured and nine passengers and three flight attendants received minor injuries during the turbulence encounter. The remaining passengers and crew were not injured. The airplane was traveling in a predominately northern direction at 37,000 feet altitude during the encounter. Weather products obtained showed that extreme intensity thunderstorms existed in the area where the turbulence was encountered. Weather data and aircraft position radar data show that the airplane was 9 miles south-southwest of a cloud buildup that extended to 39,000 feet. Additionally, the airplane was 5 miles west of an extreme intensity radar echo associated with the thunderstorms in the area. The airline's General Operations Manual states that thunderstorms that are identified as severe, or giving a intense radar echo should be avoided by at least 20 miles. No National Weather Service aviation weather advisories were in effect for the location and time of the turbulence encounter. Communications transcripts show that the flight crew requested and were granted a course deviation for weather about 10 minutes prior to the upset. However, the Digital Flight Data Recorder shows that the seat belt sign was illuminated only 10 seconds prior to the encounter.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flightcrew's failure to follow weather avoidance prcedures and their delay in activating the seat belt sign. Factors were the turbulent thunderstorm weather conditions, and the failure of the National Weather Service to issue an applicable in-flight weather advisory.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/18/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1635 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Springfield |
| Event State | MISSOURI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 65721 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 372911N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0932722W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1654 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KSGF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1267 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 8 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.94 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KSGF 182054Z 22005KT 10SM SCT060 25/17 A2993 |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 12 |
| Injury Total None | 111 |
| Injury Total Serious | 3 |
| Injury Total All | 15 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14530 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 18 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1700 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 30 2003 8:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | St. Louis, Missouri |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N516AT |
| NTSB Number | CHI02LA111 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Boeing |
| Aircraft Model | 757-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 27972 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 256000 |
| 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 | 227 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 31 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 210 |
| Airframe Hours | 23720 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AMERICAN TRANS AIR INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7337 West Washington Street |
| Aircraft Owner City | Indianapolis |
| Aircraft Owner State | IN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 46231 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | AMTA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GDL |
| Departure City | GUADALAJARA |
| Departure State | -- |
| Departure Country | MX |
| Departure Time | 1350 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MDW |
| Destination City | CHICAGO |
| Destination State | IL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 20 2003 8:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |