Boeing 767 328 accident near Honolulu, Hawaii, October 15, 2017
On October 15, 2017 at about 10:22 am local time, a 1993 Boeing 767 328, registered N342AX, was involved in an accident during enroute (descent) near Honolulu, Hawaii (Daniel K. Inouye International airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 11 others were unhurt. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an inadvertent encounter of clear air turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2017 · about 10:22 am local time
- Place
- Honolulu, Hawaii · Daniel K. Inouye International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 11 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767 328 328, built 1993 · all 767 328s on the register
- Registration
- N342AX · no longer on the register · serial 27136
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 15, 2017, at about 1022 universal coordinated time , Omni Air International, LLC, Boeing B-767-300ER, N342AX, was enroute to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (DFS), Honolulu, Hawaii, when the flight encountered turbulence that caused serious injuries to one "deadheading" cabin crew member. None of the other 11 crew members were injured and the airplane was not damaged. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 between Osan Air Base (OSN), Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea, to DFS. As the flight was descending through about flight level 315 over the Pacific Ocean, approximately 117 miles from DFS, the airplane entered a thunderstorm cell and encountered severe turbulence that lasted about 30 seconds. When the turbulence was encountered, an off duty "deadheading" cabin crew member was in the aisle near the aft lavatory and was thrown to the floor injuring her right ankle. After being notified of the injury, the flight crew contacted telemedical advisory services via voice satellite communications and was provided medical direction to stabilize the injured crew member. Emergency medical personnel met the airplane on arrival and the injured crew member was transported to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with fractures in the right lateral and medial malleolus. Analysis of digital flight data retrieved from the Aeromechanical Systems Airborne Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS) indicated that the airplane experienced vertical accelerations up to 1.78 g's and as low as 0.46 g's, with a change in rate of descent ranging from +240 feet per minute to -4,080 feet per minute. The flight crew reported no indication of precipitation or wind shear on the installed radar. The operator indicated that review of recorded telemetry reported by four other aircraft in the area equipped with The Weather Company Turbulence Auto-PIREP System (TAPS) showed no evidence of turbulence at the time of the accident.
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 (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Clear air turbulence › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,125 hours in all; 1,595 in this make and model; 3,025 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 17, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Last flight review: February 24, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 400,998 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Ge CF6-80C2B6F (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Ge CF6-80C2B6F (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Omni Air International
The flight
- Departed from: RKSO Osan Air Base / Pyeongtaek at 2:10 am
- Destination: PHNL Honolulu HI
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 8 | ||
| Flight crew | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on July 15, 2020. 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, 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.