This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Tuesday 12 June 2012 |
| Time: | 19:17 LT |
| Type: |  Boeing 737-724 (WL) |
| Owner/operator: | United Airlines |
| Registration: | N16709 |
| MSN: | 28779/93 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1998 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 46487 hours |
| Engine model: | CFM INTL. CFM56 SERIES |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 81 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Winnie, Texas -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport, TX (IAH/KIAH) |
| New York-La Guardia Airport, NY (LGA/KLGA) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The flight encountered an area of severe turbulence during the climb at about flight level 221 on departure that seriously injured two flight attendants (FA). The flight crew was aware of the forecasted convective conditions and potential for turbulence forecast along their route of flight. The captain and FAs differed in their recollection about the turbulence discussion during the pre-flight briefing. The FAs were not aware of the turbulence potential during the flight and began their service before the captain instructed them as he intended. The weather radar tilt setting of 1 degree used by the flight crew would be useful for detecting the tops of medium range and distant storms but would not be useful in detecting the rapidly developing nearby cells below and in front of the airplane. A negative tilt setting on the weather radar was recommended by the company to detect cells building in front of the airplane. As a result, the flight penetrated a rapidly developing area of "extreme" convective activity that produced severe convectively induced turbulence.
Probable Cause: the flight crew's penetration of a rapidly developing thunderstorm cell in an area of forecasted convective activity. The serious injuries were the result of a misunderstanding between the captain and cabin crew regarding the potential for turbulence.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB DCA12LA091
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Jun-2023 17:09 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation