Boeing 777 accident near Lajes Terceira Island, Pt, December 4, 2016
On December 4, 2016 at about 5:00 am local time, a Boeing 777, registered A7BAN, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Lajes Terceira Island. It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). 5 people were seriously injured; 351 others were unhurt.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 4, 2016 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Lajes Terceira Island, Portugal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were seriously injured; 351 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777 3DZER · all 777s on the register
- Registration
- A7BAN · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
The government of Portugal has notified the NTSB of an accident involving a BOEING 777 airplane that occurred on December 04, 2016. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the government of Portugal's investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13.All investigative information will be released by the government of Portugal.
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 aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 15 | ||
| Flight crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 4 | 332 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under A7BAN 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.