Event Details


Title:Turbulence, Report on the accident to Airbus A330-342 B-HYA within the Manila Flight Information Region on 18 July 2003 (Recommended)
Micro summary:While flying at high altitude in cruise, this A330 encountered severe turbulence, resulting in serious injuries to two crew, and injuring 10 crewmembers and 3 passengers. Meal service was underway.
Event Time:2003-07-18 at 0510 UTC (daylight)
File Name:2003-07-18-HK.pdf
Publishing Agency:Civil Aviation Department Hong Kong, Accident Investigation Division
Publishing Country:Hong Kong
Report number:1/2005
Pages:77
Site of event:FL410, 14 NM NNE of NOBEN
Latitude/Longitude:13° 00' N 116° 51.3' E
Departure:Kota Kinabalu International Airport, Sabah, Malaysia
Destination:Hong Kong International Airport (Check Lap Kok Airport), Hong Kong, China
Airplane Type(s):Airbus A330-342
Flight Phase:Cruise
Registration(s):B-HYA
Operator(s):Dragon Airlines
Type of flight:Revenue
Occupants:251
Fatalities:0
Serious Injuries:17
Minor/Non-Injured:236
Other Injuries:0
Executive Summary:On 18 July 2003, a passenger flight, HDA060, was enroute from Kota Kinabalu to Hong Kong along Route M754 within the Manila FIR cruising at Flight Level (FL) 410. Prompted by weather returns displayed on the weather radar, the flight crew requested permission from Air Traffic Control (ATC) in Manila to deviate right of track to avoid weather. Soon after commencement of the track deviation, the aircraft encountered severe turbulence. At the time of the occurrence, the Fasten Seat Belt Signs (FSBS) were selected ON and all passengers were seated with their seat belts fastened. However, as the cabin crew were serving meals along the aisles and galley areas they were not strapped in. Based on the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) data, during the turbulence encounter, the cruising level varied between FL 408 and FL 416. The aircraft experienced a rapid sequence of jolts that resulted in various degrees of injuries to all twelve cabin crew members. Of the 236 passengers on board, three sustained minor injuries.

The accident occurred within the Manila Flight Information Region (FIR) where a tropical depression had just moved to an area over the sea to the west of the Philippines, moving on a track of west-northwest and was forecast to intensify over water. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was deviating 6 NM to the right of Route M754 northbound at a position approximately 160 NM to the west-northwest of the centre of the tropical depression.

After the accident, the aircraft was promptly accorded priority landing at Hong Kong. It subsequently landed safely at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

As the occurrence resulted in serious injuries, in the form of bone fractures, to persons on board, it was classified as an aircraft accident. The Chief Inspector of Accidents therefore ordered an Inspector’s Investigation be carried out in accordance with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations 1983.

The investigation concluded that the aircraft inadvertently flew into an area of turbulent weather caused by strong convective activity associated with the tropical depression. Based on the evidence as to the way in which the weather radar was operated, it was highly probable that the flight crew were not presented with the optimum weather radar picture that would have enabled a full appreciation of the intensity and extent of the weather in the vicinity of the aircraft. As a result, the deviation around weather was not initiated early enough, nor was the deviation large enough to avoid the weather.

Learning Keywords:Operations - Turbulence
Consequence - Flight Attendant Fatality - Injury
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Turbulence injuries, National Airlines, Inc., Boeing 747-135, N77772, Near Lake Charles, Louisiana, January 4, 1972
Turbulence injuries, Air France, Boeing 707-B-328B, F-BLCA, Near O-Neill, Nebraska, May 13, 1974
Turbulence injuries, Air Canada Flight 965, Lockheed L-1011, C-FTNJ, Near Charleston, South Carolina, November 24, 1983
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Turbulence injury, Boeing 747-400, February 12, 1994
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Turbulence injuries, Boeing 727-200, July 28, 2000
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Turbulence injury, Boeing 757-200, May 29, 2002
Turbulence injury, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, November 6, 2002
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 727-200, March 16, 1995
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 737-200, April 28, 1997
Turbulence injuries, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-80, February 8, 1999
Turbulence injury, Boeing 777-223, August 22, 2000
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 757-200, April 18, 2002
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 757-222, April 21, 2003
Turbulence injury, Airbus A319-111, June 2, 2003
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 777-222, June 11, 1999
Turbulence injuries, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-81, August 7, 2003
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 737-201, June 22, 1996
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 767-222, June 20, 1995
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 757, August 4, 1995
Turbulence injury, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51, January 28, 1997
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 747-422, September 14, 1997
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 767-223, July 22, 1998
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 737-222, May 5, 1999
Turbulence injuries, McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30, March 22, 2002
Turbulence injury, Boeing 757-2B7, May 24, 1998
Turbulence injury, Boeing 737-3H4, June 25, 1999
Turbulence injury, Boeing 757-223, April 7, 1996
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 737-824, July 8, 1999
Turbulence injury, Boeing 757-2G7, January 11, 2000
Turbulence Injury, Boeing 757-2G7, April 2, 2000
Turbulence injury, Airbus A320-232, April 19, 2001
Turbulence injury, Boeing 737-500, August 9, 2001
Turbulence injury, Boeing 747-422, May 1, 2002
Turbulence injury, McDonnell Douglas MD-82, June 12, 2003
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 747-422, October 17, 1995
Turbulence injury, Boeing 747-122, November 1, 1995
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Turbulence injuries, Boeing 737-242C, March 4, 1998
Turbulence injury, Boeing 737-300, December 13, 1998
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Turbulence injury, Boeing 757-2G7, May 28, 2001
Turbulence injury, Airbus A320-232, August 20, 2001
Turbulence on descent, Boeing 777-223, February 25, 2003
Turbulence injury, McDonnell Douglas MD-88, Janaury 6, 1995
Turbulence injury, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, October 1, 1997
Turbulence injury, Boeing 737-724, February 19, 2002
Turbulence injury, Boeing 767-224, April 22, 2002
Turbulence injury, Boeing 767-300, May 7, 2003
Turbulence injury, Boeing 737-800, August 16, 2003
Turbulence injury, Airbus A300B4-605R, January 7, 1997
Turbulence injury, Boeing 747-200, April 18, 1998
Turbulence injury, Bombardier DHC-8-102, September 27, 1998
Turbulence injury, September 30, 1999
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 767-332ER, November 4, 2000
Turbulence injury, Boeing 737-522, November 25, 1995
Turbulence injury, Boeing 737-2H4, July 7, 1994
Turbulence injury, Boeing 737-291A, June 11, 1997
Tubulence, December 28, 1997, Boeing 747-122, December 28, 1997
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 777-236, G-VIIP, May 14, 2006
Turbulence injuries, Airbus A340-300, D-AIGK, September 18, 1996
Turbulence injuries, Boeing 757-2Q8, N755AT, March 2, 1997
Turbulence injuries, Airbus A340-300, D-AIGK, August 6, 2003

 




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