Boeing B777-222 N779UA

Summary

On 17 July 2003 at about 20:45 local time, a Boeing B777-222 registered N779UA was involved in an accident near Chicago, Illinois, United States. 270 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

17 July 2003 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Chicago O'hare Intl (ORD)

Coordinates

41.9797, -87.9044

Aircraft

Boeing B777-222

Registration

N779UA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Denver → Chicago

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI03LA237

1 person was seriously injured.

The turbulence encountered during the descent which seriously injured a passenger returning to her seat after the seat belt sign was activated. A factor was that it was not possible for the returning passenger to comply with the lit seat belt sign.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A passenger sustained a broken ankle when the flight encountered moderate turbulence. The captain reported that the seat belt sign was on prior to entering a buildup. The captain stated, "However a passenger, ... had still not taken her seat. Apparently she had been in the lavatory when I turned on the seat belt sign, and was returning to her seat at the time of the encounter." An excerpt from an airline weather study stated, "Even though the main band of convective activity had passed the location of the incident, the possibility of a towering cumulus cell re-building behind the first band was indeed possible as the air mass was becoming gradually unstable again. ... Therefore, the pilot report of encountering a jolt of light turbulence followed by moderate turbulence is plausible."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.