Boeing 757-223 accident near New Chicago, Indiana, June 5, 2005
On June 5, 2005 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Boeing 757-223, registered N602AN, was involved in an accident near New Chicago, Indiana. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 160 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadvertent encounter with convectively induced turbulence (CIT) while the aircraft was descending into the terminal area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2005 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- New Chicago, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 160 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-223 · all 757-223s on the register
- Registration
- N602AN · no longer on the register · serial 27053
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise descent the airplane encountered convectively induced turbulence (CIT) and two flight attendants were injured. One of the injured flight attendants was located in the aft galley preparing for landing when the airplane encountered the turbulence. The flight attendant stated that she heard the captain say "prepare for landing" and "all of [a] sudden I got lifted off the ground and slammed into the 4R door." This flight attendant suffered a fractured ankle. The other injured flight attendant was located near the aft lavatories preparing for landing when the airplane encountered the turbulence. The flight attendant stated that the airplane "hit some type of severe turbulence without warning" and that she was "thrown to the floor." This flight attendant suffered minor injuries to her shoulder, hip, foot, and lower back. Data from the airplane's Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) was extracted and indicated that the airplane experienced vertical accelerations that were consistent with a CIT event. During the approximately 4 second CIT encounter, the maximum and minimum vertical accelerations were about 1.9g and 0.5g, respectively.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 5,500 in this make and model; 4,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 33,715 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 240,000 lb
- Seats: 162
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royce RB211-63 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royce RB211-63 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIA Miami FL at 3:24 pm
- Destination: ORD Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from GYY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Passengers | 156 |
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.