Boeing 747-400 N186UA

Summary

On 12 February 1994, a Boeing 747-400 registered N186UA, operated by United Airlines, was involved in an accident near Pacific Ocean. 409 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 February 1994

Classification

Accident

Location

Pacific Ocean

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Boeing 747-400

Registration

N186UA

Category

Airplane

Engines

4

Operator

United Airlines

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Los Angeles → Auckland

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX94LA141

1 person was seriously injured.

the failure of the chief steward to verify that all flight attendants had been informed, and were complying with the captain's instructions to remain seated with their seatbelts fastened.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airliner was on an authorized off-course deviation, approaching MEGOG intersection, to circumvent some convective activity which had been identified on radar. As a precaution, the 'fasten seatbelt' light was illuminated and the captain told the chief purser to advise the other flight attendants of possible turbulence and to be seated. Approximately ten minutes later at MEGOG intersection, the aircraft encountered three to five seconds of what the captain described as moderate-to-severe turbulence. The weather radar was on at the time of the of the actual encounter; however, there were no weather returns showing on the scope. During the turbulence, one flight attendant who did not get the prewarning was answering a passenger call, and was not seated. Passenger reports indicate that, at the onset, the flight attendant left the floor of the aircraft and came back down hard on her shoulder and side. It was later determined that the flight attendant suffered a hairline fracture of the right clavicle.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.