Boeing 757-231 accident near Cooper Hill, Missouri, November 18, 2024
On November 18, 2024 at about 11:35 pm local time, a 1999 Boeing 757-231, registered N717TW, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Cooper Hill, Missouri. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 106 others were unhurt. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An encounter with convective induced turbulence which resulted in a flight attendant serious injury.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2024 · about 11:35 pm local time
- Place
- Cooper Hill, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 106 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-231, built 1999 · all 757-231s on the register
- Registration
- N717TW · registry record · serial 28485
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Delta Airlines flight 1660, encountered turbulence at an altitude of FL 320 while enroute from Kansas City International Airport (MCI), Kansas City, Missouri, to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, Georgia. One flight attendant (FA) sustained a serious injury, and the remaining crewmembers and passengers were uninjured. According to the captain, during the inbound leg to MCI, the flight encountered light turbulence. As a precaution, he instructed the FAs to complete the initial and final announcements simultaneously. That arrival was uneventful. For the outbound leg (MCI–ATL), the captain briefed the FAs to remain seated until he advised them it was safe to begin service. During climbout, the aircraft encountered light turbulence; however, upon reaching cruise altitude above a cloud deck, the flight was smooth. The flight crew reviewed the Flight Weather Viewer – a Delta proprietary app provided to their flight crews to use as a secondary source of weather, which indicated they were exiting the outer edge of an area of convection. No turbulence plots had been issued by Delta for the area, and other aircraft in the area also reported smooth conditions. The National Weather Service (NWS) Aviation Weather Center had issued a Convective Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET) for an area of thunderstorms moving from 230° at 45 knots with tops to FL420 for the area. The advisory implied the potential for severe turbulence in and near the storms. After confirming smooth conditions, the captain advised the lead FA that cabin service could begin. About five minutes later, while in clear air, the airplane abruptly rolled about 15° to the right. The autopilot corrected the deviation, and the airplane experienced about 3 to 4 seconds of “moderate turbulence” before returning to smooth flight. The captain contacted the cabin to check on the FAs. One FA reported she had struck her head and shoulder but declined immediate medical assistance. The remainder of the flight continued uneventfully, and the airplane landed without further incident in Atlanta. After parking at the gate, the captain again confirmed the condition of the FA. The FA who struck her head stated she was communicating with inflight services and crew tracking regarding her next assignment. The captain provided his contact information for follow-up and reported the incident to the duty pilot. Meteorological reports provided by the airline indicated the flight likely encountered convective turbulence while overflying an area of convection which extended along the general route of flight. Delta issued a turbulence plot about 30 minutes later 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 (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,417 hours in all; 6,417 in this make and model; 127 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 1,141 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 15, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,948 hours in all; 290 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 1,051 as pilot in command; 1,017 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 25, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 90,764.2 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 3, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 25,600 lb
- Seats: 177
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P & W PW2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P & W PW2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines INC
The flight
- Departed from: KMCI Kansas City MO at 10:59 pm
- Destination: KATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 5 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 99 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DCA25LA041.