Douglas DC-8-62F accident near Yakota, Jp, September 10, 2011
On September 10, 2011 at about 6:55 am local time, a Douglas DC-8-62F, registered N71CX, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Yakota. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 36 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The passenger's decision to ignore the fasten seatbelt sign, resulting in serious injury to the passenger during a turbulence encounter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 2011 · about 6:55 am local time
- Place
- Yakota, Japan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 36 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-8-62F · all DC-8-62Fs on the register
- Registration
- N71CX · no longer on the register · serial 45961
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The transport-category airplane was in international airspace, cruising at flight level 270 in the vicinity of thunderstorms, when the captain reported that he illuminated the cabin fasten seatbelt sign and ordered the cabin crew to take their seats and remain seated. The airplane then entered an area of continuous moderate turbulence. Fifteen minutes into the turbulence encounter, a passenger who did not have her seatbelt fastened sustained serious injury when she struck the ceiling of the airplane and then the armrest of her seat and the floor. The captain declared a medical emergency and diverted to the nearest airport. The passenger was hospitalized in excess of 48 hours.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Turbulence encounter during enroute (cruise)
- Windshear or thunderstorm during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Passenger
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,571 hours in all; 9,305 in this make and model; 6,689 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 5, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,125 hours in all; 570 in this make and model; 4,038 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 15, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 75,783 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 8, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 335,000 lb
- Seats: 37
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P & W JT3D-7&3B (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P & W JT3D-3&3B (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 3: P & W JT3D-3&3B (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 4: P & W JT3D-3&3B (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Transport International LLC
The flight
- Departed from: WASP Singapore at 2:20 am
- Destination: RJTY Tokyo
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 2 | |||
| Flight crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 31 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.