Lockheed L1011-385-1 accident near Jacks Creek, Tennessee, June 16, 1989
On June 16, 1989 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Lockheed L1011-385-1, registered N721DA, was involved in an accident near Jacks Creek, Tennessee. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 7 people were seriously injured and 23 people had minor injuries; 259 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PASSENGERS TO REMAIN SEATED WITH THEIR SEAT BELTS FASTENED AS THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED UNFORECAST SEVERE CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 1989 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Jacks Creek, Tennessee
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 7 people were seriously injured and 23 people had minor injuries; 259 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lockheed L1011-385-1 L1011-385-
- Registration
- N721DA · no longer on the register · serial 193C-1139
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,500 hours in all; 2,800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40,459 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 110,000 lb
- Seats: 358
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce RB211-22B (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEA Seattle WA at 3:22 pm
- Destination: ATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from MSL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | 13 | ||
| Passengers | 7 | 21 | 246 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N721DA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.