Tafuna/Pago Pago Internl Airpo Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Pago Pago Antarctica
Friday, December 3, 2010 10:42 UTC

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

Shortly after departure, the airplane experienced what the captain described as three or four “jolts” of moderate turbulence. The captain reported clear skies with thunderstorms in the area. The seatbelt sign was illuminated in the cabin, and the passengers were in their seat. One flight attendant, who was in the aft cabin preparing a beverage cart, sustained serious injuries. The airplane continued to climb and the remainder of the flight was uneventful. The flight data recorder recorded vertical and lateral accelerations consistent with a turbulence encounter. According to the FDR, the disturbance lasted less than 10 seconds, and there was a change in wind speed and direction evident around that time period. Although no convective activity was noted at the accident location at the accident time, satellite imagery identified convective activity in the region. The airplane was ascending near a boundary defined by a significant decrease in atmospheric moisture. This type of boundary is conducive to the propagation of gravity waves and most likely contributed to the convectively-induced turbulence that the airplane encountered.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The airplane’s encounter with convectively-induced turbulence, which resulted in serious injury to one flight attendant.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/3/2010
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1042
Event Time Zone Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT
Event City Pago Pago
Event State --
Event Country ANTARCTICA
Zipcode of the event site --
Event Date Year 2010
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 141953S
Event Location Longitude 1704241W
Event Location Airport Tafuna/Pago Pago Internl Airpo
Event Location Nearest Airport ID STU
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 --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 852 Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID NSTU
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 100
Time Zone of the weather observation UTC
Lighting Conditions Night
Lowest Ceiling Height 22000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Few
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -6
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 70
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.92
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None 181
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 30351
NTSB Notification Source FAA HNL CMO
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Aug 7 2012 3:47PM
User who most recently changed record coos
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N584HA
NTSB Number WPR11LA071
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 767
Aircraft Series Identifier 3G5
Aircraft Serial Number 24258
Certified Max Gross Weight 412000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 272
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection --
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 International Lease Finance Corp
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Los Angeles
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 90067
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name International Lease Finance Corp
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Los Angeles
Operator State CA
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 90067
Operator Code HALA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
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 STU
Departure City American Samoa
Departure State --
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1030
Departure Time Zone --
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code HNL
Destination City Honolulu
Destination State HI
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Aug 7 2012 3:50PM
User who most recently changed record coos
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location N/A
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --