Boeing 727-223 N856AA

Summary

On 23 April 1985 at about 21:23 local time, a Boeing 727-223 registered N856AA, operated by American Airlines, was involved in an accident near Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. 5 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

23 April 1985 at 21:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

34.7502, -92.2793

Aircraft

Boeing 727-223

Registration

N856AA

Category

Airplane

Engines

3

Operator

American Airlines

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Chicago

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

Unk

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI85FA174

1 person was seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.