McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 N831LA

Summary

On 25 July 1997 at about 22:00 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 registered N831LA, operated by Laker Airways, Inc, was involved in an accident near Atlantic Ocean. 324 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 3 had minor injuries. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 July 1997 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Atlantic Ocean

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30

Registration

N831LA

Category

Airplane

Engines

3

Operator

Laker Airways, Inc

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Orlando → Prestwick, Scot

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC97LA155

1 person was seriously injured.

Failure of the aft flight attendant to secure her seat belt. Related factors were turbulence in clouds, and the flight attendant not receiving the crew briefing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane encountered in-flight turbulence and an aft cabin attendant was injured. The captain ensured the seat belt sign was 'ON,' briefed the in-flight director, and told the flight engineer to make sure the cabin attendants were seated. Three minutes before the turbulence encounter, the flight engineer briefed the forward cabin attendant of the anticipated turbulence, and told her to brief the rest of the cabin crew. After securing a portion of her galley, she only briefed the mid galley cabin crew, and assumed that the in-flight director had briefed the rest of the cabin crew. The in-flight director said by the time the cockpit called to advise of moderate turbulence and to sit, it was too late. The cabin attendants in the aft galley did not receive the briefing and their beverage carts were not secured. Shortly after the accident, the carrier published crew notification and procedure changes in their operations manuals for turbulence encounters and other in flight emergencies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.