Boeing 747-422 accident near Oceanic, June 27, 2007
On June 27, 2007 at about 11:27 am local time, a Boeing 747-422, registered N120UA, was involved in an accident near Oceanic. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 282 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight encounter with turbulence that resulted in serious injury to a flight attendant.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2007 · about 11:27 am local time
- Place
- Oceanic
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 282 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-422 · all 747-422s on the register
- Registration
- N120UA · registry record · serial 29166
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight experienced light chop while in cruise flight at FL330, and the flightcrew turned on the seatbelt sign. A few minutes later, they encountered moderate clear-air turbulence. The captain reported that there were no radar returns within 20 miles, and nothing more than green returns beyond. When the initial chop was encountered, the flight crew made an announcement over the public address system for the flight attendants to be seated. At the time of the moderate turbulence encounter, one flight attendant was entering the top crew rest bunk on the aft wall for a rest period. Her balance was not good because she did not have both feet on the ground at the time. When the airplane encountered the turbulence, she fell forward towards the wall. In response, she put her right hand out for protection. Losing her balance, she fell to the cabin floor sustaining a serious injury. The airplane did not incur any damage.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW 4000 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSFO San Francisco CA at 6:22 am
- Destination: YSSY Sydney
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; scat at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 1:10 am from PHKO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 18 | ||
| Passengers | 264 |
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 N120UA 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.