Boeing 757-200 accident near Springfield, Missouri, April 18, 2002
On April 18, 2002 at about 9:35 pm local time, a Boeing 757-200, registered N516AT, was involved in an accident near Springfield, Missouri. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 3 people were seriously injured and 12 people had minor injuries; 111 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flightcrew's failure to follow weather avoidance prcedures and their delay in activating the seat belt sign. Factors were the turbulent thunderstorm weather conditions, and the failure of the National Weather Service to issue an applicable in-flight weather advisory.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2002 · about 9:35 pm local time
- Place
- Springfield, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 12 people had minor injuries; 111 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-200 · all 757-200s on the register
- Registration
- N516AT · registry record · serial 27972
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The air carrier passenger flight encountered severe turbulence while in cruise flight. Three passengers were seriously injured and nine passengers and three flight attendants received minor injuries during the turbulence encounter. The remaining passengers and crew were not injured. The airplane was traveling in a predominately northern direction at 37,000 feet altitude during the encounter. Weather products obtained showed that extreme intensity thunderstorms existed in the area where the turbulence was encountered. Weather data and aircraft position radar data show that the airplane was 9 miles south-southwest of a cloud buildup that extended to 39,000 feet. Additionally, the airplane was 5 miles west of an extreme intensity radar echo associated with the thunderstorms in the area. The airline's General Operations Manual states that thunderstorms that are identified as severe, or giving a intense radar echo should be avoided by at least 20 miles. No National Weather Service aviation weather advisories were in effect for the location and time of the turbulence encounter. Communications transcripts show that the flight crew requested and were granted a course deviation for weather about 10 minutes prior to the upset. However, the Digital Flight Data Recorder shows that the seat belt sign was illuminated only 10 seconds prior to the encounter.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,225 hours in all; 136 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 4, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,046 hours in all; 182 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 4, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 23,720 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 31, 2002; 210 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 256,000 lb
- Seats: 227
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GDL Guadalajara at 6:50 pm
- Destination: MDW Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from KSGF, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | 5 | ||
| Passengers | 3 | 9 | 106 |
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.