Boeing 767-222 accident near Champagne, Illinois, June 20, 1995
On June 20, 1995 at about 11:10 pm local time, a Boeing 767-222, registered N606UA, was involved in an accident near Champagne, Illinois. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 4 people were seriously injured; 144 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an in-flight encounter with turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 1995 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Champagne, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured; 144 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767-222 · all 767-222s on the register
- Registration
- N606UA · no longer on the register · serial 21867
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While vectoring between two thunderstorm cells in IMC, the airplane momentarily entered into VMC, and the flightcrew saw a cumulus nimbus buildup directly ahead of their path. The captain stated that this buildup had not been displayed on their radar and the cell was too close to avoid. The captain immediately made an announcement for the flight attendants, who were in the process of serving the cabin, to be seated. He stated that there was not enough time for the flight attendants to react before the airplane penetrated the top of the buildup. The flight experienced ten seconds of severe turbulence and lost approximately 900 feet in altitude. Three of the nine flight attendants were seriously injured. One passenger, who was seated but had not had her seat belt fastened, was also seriously injured. The seat belt sign had been on for approximately eight to ten minutes prior to cell penetration.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,519 hours in all; 1,531 in this make and model; 147 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 47,060 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 15, 1995; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 320,000 lb
- Seats: 178
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D-7R4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JFK New York NY at 9:41 pm
- Destination: SFO San Francisco CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from CMI, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | 8 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 136 |
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.