Airbus Industrie A340-300 accident near Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, August 6, 2003
On August 6, 2003 at about 8:57 pm local time, a Airbus Industrie A340-300, registered DAIGK, suffered minor damage in an accident near Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). 2 people were seriously injured and 43 people had minor injuries; 213 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's inadequate evaluation of the weather and their decision to continue the along the route of flight resulting in an encouter with severe turbulence. Contributing factors were the captain's instructions to continue food servicing in the cabin, and the passenger's failure to obey the lighted "FASTEN SEAT BELT" sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2003 · about 8:57 pm local time
- Place
- Walnut Ridge, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 43 people had minor injuries; 213 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus Industrie A340-300 · all A340-300s on the register
- Registration
- DAIGK · no longer on the register · serial 056
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The transport aircraft encountered severe turbulence at flight level 310 while in IMC during an international flight. Convective SIGMETs for an area of thunderstorms with tops to flight level 410 were in effect at the time and location of the accident. The FDR data showed aircraft disturbances in vertical acceleration, lateral acceleration, altitude, magnetic heading, and vertical speed. The autopilot and auto-throttle parameters remained engaged throughout the event. The captain side stick pitch, first officer side stick pitch, and first officer side stick roll parameters showed no movement during the disturbance. The captain side stick roll parameter moved -1 degree during 2057:07 and then returned to 0 degrees. The rudder pedal position and rudder parameters showed less than one degree of movement during the event sequence, and the pitch and elevator parameters registered excursions of less than 1.5 degrees. The altitude reached a minimum value of 30,884 feet msl, the aircraft stabilized at 31,000 feet. The aircraft landed at 2207 at the destination airport, approximately I hour and 10 minutes after the encounter with severe turbulence. Food service was in progress in the cabin, and the "fasten seat belt" light was on at the time of the turbulence encounter. The FA statements revealed that 7 FA's hit the cabin ceiling and then the floor, one FA hit the ceiling then an armrest, and 2 FA's were tossed through a galley. Three food serving carts were lifted from the floor, and numerous food service items were tossed about the cabin. Some of the passengers were out of their seats, and some, who were seated, did not have their seat belts secured per the "Fasten Seat Belt" light. The 18,593-hour captain/check airman with 4,093 hours in the accident aircraft, was the non-flying pilot (PNF) during the event, the 2,759-hour first officer was the pilot flying (PF). Reviews of the flight and duty time records disclosed no evidence of any activities that would have prevented the flight crewmembers from obtaining sufficient rest in the 72 hours before the accident flight. Company interviews revealed that the departure flight was delayed 4 hours and 7 minutes as a result of a change of airplanes. The Flight Crew Manual states in part: every cloud related to a severe thunderstorm represents a serious danger, and AVOID - AVOID - AVOID since weather can exceed the performance capabilities and/or structural limits of the airplane.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,593 hours in all; 4,093 in this make and model; 176 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 17, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land
- Flight time: 2,759 hours in all; 66 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 6, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Flight time: 5,398 hours in all; 142 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 10, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 45,114.5 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 606,275 lb
- Seats: 261
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cfm International CFM56-56C (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EDDF Frankfurt at 1:18 pm
- Destination: KIAH Houston TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from ARG, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | 11 | ||
| Passengers | 2 | 40 | 202 |
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.
Other NTSB records under DAIGK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 FTW03LA195.