Boeing 757-232 accident near Atlanta, Georgia, September 16, 1993
On September 16, 1993 at about 1:45 am local time, a Boeing 757-232, registered N627DL, was involved in an accident near Atlanta, Georgia. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 187 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
WAS THE PILOT'S INACCURATE EVALUATION OF WEATHER CONDITIONS WHICH RESULTED IN THE FLIGHT ENTERING AN AREA OF TURBULENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 1993 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 187 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-232 · all 757-232s on the register
- Registration
- N627DL · no longer on the register · serial 22917
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS THE FLIGHT CLIMBED THROUGH 10,000 FEET, THE FLIGHT CREW TURNED THE SEAT BELT SIGN OFF. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 13,500 FEET, THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURBULENCE WHICH RESULTED IN A SERIOUS INJURY TO A FLIGHT ATTENDANT. BEFORE ENTERING THE TURBULENT CONDITION, THE FLIGHT CREW OBSERVED CONVECTIVE BUILDUPS ON RADAR FIVE MILES NORTHEAST OF THEIR POSITION. NO AVOIDANCE ACTION WAS TAKEN UNTIL AFTER THE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 14, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 230,000 lb
- Seats: 190
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W 2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ATL
- Destination: CAE Columbia SC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from ATL, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 7 | ||
| Passengers | 180 |
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.