Boeing 777 223 accident near Buenos Aires, Ar, December 12, 2015
On December 12, 2015 at about 2:26 pm local time, a 2000 Boeing 777 223, registered N784AN, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Buenos Aires. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 12 others were unhurt. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an inadvertant encounter with convective turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 2015 · about 2:26 pm local time
- Place
- Buenos Aires, Argentina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 12 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777 223 223, built 2000 · all 777 223s on the register
- Registration
- N784AN · registry record · serial 29588
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On December 12, 2015, American Airlines flight 997, a Boeing 777, N784AN, encountered turbulence enroute to Ministro Pistarini International Airport, Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE) during a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas, Texas. The aircraft was approximately 250 NM from EZE and deviating north of the filed routing to avoid a strong convective area near thunderstorms. The flight crew had advised the flight attendants (FA) that the flight could encounter turbulence in approximately 15 minutes and they should be seated. The fasten seatbelt sign was on. While two FA's were securing the galley, the flight encountered the region of strong/severe turbulence earlier than expected. One FA was thrown to the floor and fell resulting in a broken arm. There were no passenger injuries and no damage to the airplane. The JIAIAC of Argentina delegated the investigation to the NTSB, who accepted the delegation.
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 (cruise) 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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,876 hours in all; 2,912 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,484 hours in all; 380 in this make and model
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 545,004 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES; 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES; 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dallas-Fort Worth TX
- Destination: SAEZ Buenos Aires
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 10 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 21, 2016. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Argentina Letter of Delegation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | ICAO Notification | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.