Boeing 777 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, September 30, 2020
On September 30, 2020 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1999 Boeing 777, registered N860DA, was involved in an accident during enroute near Anchorage, Alaska. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 251 others were unhurt. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s encounter with severe turbulence while flying over a mountain range during cruise.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 2020 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 251 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777 200-ER, built 1999 · all 777s on the register
- Registration
- N860DA · registry record · serial 29951
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was in cruise flight when it encountered turbulence over the Aleutian Islands, a chain of mountainous volcanic islands west of the Alaskan peninsula. A flight attendant standing in the aft main cabin galley during the encounter fell onto the galley cart restraint latch, injuring her top left rib. She was subsequently diagnosed with a fractured rib. Post-accident examination of the weather data indicated that about the time of the injury, there was evidence of a short duration turbulence event while the aircraft flew over the Aleutian Islands. The flight crew did not recall any notable turbulence during the flight, and there were no pilot reports (PIREPs) or inflight weather advisories current for the area.
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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Terrain induced turbulence › Effect on personnel
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Terrain induced turbulence › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Terrain induced turbulence › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,597 hours in all; 8,655 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: June 24, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,823 hours in all; 7,341 in this make and model; 97 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: September 24, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,232 hours in all; 8,324 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 92,159 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 30, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 657,000 lb
- Seats: 304
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls Royce Trent 892-17 (turbofan); 78,094 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls Royce Trent 892-17 (turbofan); 69,844 hours total
- Operator: Delta Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: PGUA Yigo, Guam PO at 2:37 pm
- Destination: PAED Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 12 | ||
| Passengers | 239 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 19, 2022. 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 | Flight Crew Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Flight Attendant Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Meteorology Summary from Operator | PDF, 12 pages | 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.