Boeing 727-222A incident near Chicago, Illinois, April 28, 1996
On April 28, 1996 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Boeing 727-222A, registered N7443U, was involved in an incident near Chicago, Illinois. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person had minor injuries; 135 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a passenger disturbance that required the flight attendant to leave her seat. A factor in this accident was the encounter with turbulence as the flight attendant was performing her assigned duties.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 1996 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 135 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-222A · all 727-222As on the register
- Registration
- N7443U · no longer on the register · serial 21897
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline flight was at Flight Level 240 when the ARTCC advised the captain of possible moderate chop starting at Flight Level 220. The captain advised the flight attendants of this information. A few minutes later the flight was instructed to descend to Flight Level 190. The captain turned on the seat belt sign and requested that the passengers take their seats. During the descent the flight encountered turbulence as it entered a cloud layer at Flight Level 220. As the flight entered the cloud layer a flight attendant was dealing with a passenger who had gotten out of their seat. The flight attendant fell against the passenger seat arm and onto the floor during the turbulence 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, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,071 hours in all; 4,957 in this make and model; 166 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days; 8,863 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 45,716 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 8, 1995; 2,557 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 190,500 lb
- Seats: 154
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-15 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SJC San Jose CA at 5:04 pm
- Destination: ORD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from ORD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 6 | ||
| Passengers | 129 |
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.