Boeing 767 accident near Atlantic Ocean, Ca, January 14, 2011
On January 14, 2011 at about 6:55 am local time, a Boeing 767, registered CGHLQ, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Atlantic Ocean (Zurich airport). It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. 7 people were seriously injured and 8 people had minor injuries; 88 others were unhurt.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2011 · about 6:55 am local time
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean, Canada · Zurich · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 7 people were seriously injured and 8 people had minor injuries; 88 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767 · all 767s on the register
- Registration
- CGHLQ · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On January 14, 2011, at 0655 UTC, a Boeing 767-300, Canadian registration C-GHLQ, operating as Air Canada flight 878, from Toronto Canada to Zurich, Switzerland experienced a pitch excursion resulting in a loss of 300 feet while in cruise at 35000 feet over the North Atlantic ocean. Thirteen passengers and two flight attendants were injured. After determining the extent of the injuries, it was decided to continue to destination. The seatbelt sign had been selected on 41 minutes prior to the pitch excursion. Upon arrival in Zurich, seven passengers were sent to surrounding hospitals for further assessments and observation. The airplane was not damaged. This accident is being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. www.tsb.ca
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
What happened, in order
- Abrupt maneuver during enroute (cruise) defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Operator: Air Canada
The flight
- Departed from: CYYZ Toronto
- Destination: LZRH Zurich
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 2 | 4 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 7 | 6 | 82 |
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.