Boeing 777-232 accident near Atlanta, Georgia, July 12, 2013
On July 12, 2013 at about 9:38 am local time, a Boeing 777-232, registered N863DA, was involved in an accident during enroute (descent) near Atlanta, Georgia. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 278 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Unexpected encounter with convective turbulence while the flight attendants were preparing the cabin for arrival.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 2013 · about 9:38 am local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 278 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777-232 · all 777-232s on the register
- Registration
- N863DA · registry record · serial 29735
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight and cabin crew statements, Atlanta Approach Control advised the crew that radar was showing an area of rain on the arrival route although the flight crew did not see any areas of precipitation on the airborne weather radar. During the descent to 11,000 feet the seatbelt sign was illuminated and the captain, who was the pilot monitoring, cycled the seatbelt sign and called the flight attendant (FA) at the 1L door via the interphone to notify the cabin crew to be seated. Before the 1L flight attendant was able to relay the message to all of the FAs to be seated, as they were all preparing the cabin for arrival, the airplane encountered several distinct jolts of turbulence. According to the flight data recorder data, as the airplane was descending through about 13,200 feet, the vertical acceleration fluctuated between +1.56 g's and +0.024 g's over a period of about 10 seconds. During the turbulence the 4Rc FA who was in the aisle near the 3R door was lifted into the air and fell back down to the floor on her feet and knees. The FA was assisted to the 3R jumpseat, the flight crew was notified of the injury, and they requested paramedics meet the airplane upon arrival The 4Rc FA was transported to the hospital where she was diagnosed with two broken ankles.
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
- Turbulence encounter during enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 13,394 hours in all; 1,136 in this make and model; 87 in the last 90 days; 5,757 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 5, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,499 hours in all; 616 in this make and model; 94 in the last 90 days; 517 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 15, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 400
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines INC
The flight
- Departed from: OMDB Dubai at 11:38 am
- Destination: KATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,800 ft; scat at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 am from KATL, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 10 | ||
| Flight crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 264 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on September 1, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 21 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Crew Statements | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Flight Data Recorder 10 - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 1 - Tabular Data - (Csv Format) | zip file | Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N863DA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.