Boeing 767 322 accident near Houston, Texas, October 18, 2013
On October 18, 2013 at about 10:00 am local time, a 1998 Boeing 767 322, registered N665UA, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Houston, Texas. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 227 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane's inadvertent encounter with clear air turbulence during cruise flight, which resulted in a serious injury to a flight attendant.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2013 · about 10:00 am local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 227 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767 322 322, built 1998 · all 767 322s on the register
- Registration
- N665UA · registry record · serial 29237
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While cruising at FL360 in smooth air conditions with no storms in the vicinity, the airplane experienced a 3 to 5 second encounter with clear air turbulence. The seatbelt sign was illuminated at the time. During the event a flight attendant fell and fractured her ankle. Following the brief turbulence encounter, the flight returned to smooth air conditions and later landed uneventfully at its intended destination.
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
- Clear air turbulence encounter during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Clear air turbulence › Effect on personnel
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, military, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 19, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 55,168 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 21, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 297,624 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W PW4000 SER (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W PW4000 SER (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: SAEZ Buenos Aires at 10:30 pm
- Destination: IAH Houston TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 270° at 70 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 8 | ||
| Flight crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 214 |
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.