Boeing 757 accident near Cuba, Cu, May 16, 2009
On May 16, 2009 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Boeing 757, registered N657DL, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Cuba. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries; 184 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An unanticipated inflight encounter with turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2009 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Cuba, Cuba · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries; 184 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757 232 · all 757s on the register
- Registration
- N657DL · no longer on the register · serial 24419
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was at flight level 350 with the autopilot engaged, and about 35 to 40 minutes from its destination, when it encountered severe turbulence. The captain had turned the seat belt light on 5 to 10 minutes before the turbulence, and the first officer had made the public address announcing that everyone needed to remain seated with their seatbelts fastened. Suddenly, the airplane encountered severe turbulence and climbed rapidly to about 500 feet above the assigned altitude; the autopilot then disengaged. The captain took control of the airplane and slowly lowered the nose. As the captain leveled the airplane, the nose pitched down and the airplane descended about 500 feet below the assigned altitude before leveling and departing the area of turbulence. At the time of the encounter, the airplane was in a layer of haze. There was no heavy precipitation noted on the radar, and no build-ups visible to the flight crew. One passenger was seriously injured, and two passengers and two flight attendants sustained minor injuries.
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 › (general) › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,830 hours in all; 4,328 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 29, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,152 hours in all; 697 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 8, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 63,598 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 9, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 232,000 lb
- Seats: 188
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PW2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PW2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: ATL Atlanta GA at 2:52 pm
- Destination: MWCR George Town
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from MWCR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 2 | 2 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 | 180 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.