Boeing 727-243 accident near Little Rock, Arkansas, October 5, 1991
On October 5, 1991 at about 7:30 am local time, a Boeing 727-243, registered N17402, was involved in an accident near Little Rock, Arkansas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 52 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SPECIFICALLY WARN THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS OF THE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS WARNINGS. A FACTOR WAS THE TURBULENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 1991 · about 7:30 am local time
- Place
- Little Rock, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 52 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-243 · all 727-243s on the register
- Registration
- N17402 · registry record · serial 21265
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A BOEING 727-200 ENCOUNTERED FORECASTED SEVERE TURBULENCE ASSOCIATED WITH A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WHILE IN CRUISE AT FLIGHT LEVEL 350. ALL THE PASSENGERS AND FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE SITTING DOWN AFTER THE CAPTAIN HAD TURNED ON THE SEAT BELT SIGN UPON ENCOUNTERING SOME LIGHT CHOP. CABIN SERVICE WAS NEARLY COMPLETED. A FLIGHT ATTENDANT GOT UP TO STOW A BEVERAGE CART IN THE AFT GALLEY WHEN SEVERE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED FOR ABOUT 60 SECONDS. A CONVECTIVE SIGMET WAS IN EFFECT FOR THEIR ROUTE OF FLIGHT AND CALLED FOR A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS 15 MILES WIDE, WITH TOPS TO FLIGHT LEVEL 450. THE CAPTAIN DID NOT DIRECT THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS TO SECURE THE CABIN OR DISCONTINUE SERVICE.
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, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model; 213 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 35,050 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 1, 1991; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 172,500 lb
- Seats: 157
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-9A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Continental Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: ORD Chicago IL at 6:27 am
- Destination: IAH Houston TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| Passengers | 47 |
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.