Airbus Industrie AE 340-300 incident near San Antonio, Texas, September 18, 1996
On September 18, 1996 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Airbus Industrie AE 340-300, registered DAIGK, was involved in an incident near San Antonio, Texas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under foreign airline rules (Part 129). 8 people had minor injuries; 166 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
turbulence, and failure of passengers to properly fasten their seat belts and properly hold lap children after the captain announced expected turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 1996 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 8 people had minor injuries; 166 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus Industrie AE 340-300
- Registration
- DAIGK · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The captain reported that approximately 30 minutes after takeoff, while at FL280, the aircraft's airborne weather radar indicated a possible area of turbulence ahead. The captain turned on the seat belt sign. When the flight was 20 nautical miles north of Three Rivers, Texas (THX), the captain made an announcement over the public address (PA) system for the cabin attendants to take their seats. The flight encountered 'strong' turbulence, 30 nautical miles north of San Antonio, Texas, near HENLY intersection. A total of 8 passengers received minor injuries, 3 of which were infants (ages 3 months, 5 months, and 16 months). A severe turbulence inspection was performed and no aircraft damage was found.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 597,450 lb
- Seats: 335
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cfm CFM56 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IAH Houston TX at 9:53 pm
- Destination: DFW Dfw TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 12 | |||
| Passengers | 8 | 154 |
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
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.