Boeing 747-422 accident near Pacific Ocean, PO, October 17, 1995
On October 17, 1995, a Boeing 747-422, registered N191UA, was involved in an accident near Pacific Ocean, PO. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 5 people had minor injuries; 331 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an inadvertent encounter with unreported and unforecasted severe turbulence. A factor in the accident was the passengers' non-use of seat belts during cruise flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 1995
- Place
- Pacific Ocean, PO
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 5 people had minor injuries; 331 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-422 · all 747-422s on the register
- Registration
- N191UA · no longer on the register · serial 26880
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Six passengers were injured during a severe turbulence encounter over the Pacific Ocean while the aircraft was in cruise at flight level FL330. The accident occurred in international waters near latitude 40 degrees north, longitude 152 degrees east. Review of the forecasts and pilot reports of the dispatch/weather package given to the flight crew prior to departure disclosed that an area of light to moderate turbulence was forecast along the aircraft's planned track from 151 to 162 degrees east longitude. Pilot reports available at the time of departure consistently reported smooth conditions in the area of the forecast turbulence. At the time of the encounter the aircraft was in clear air above a cirrus cloud deck. The crew saw no convective activity ahead either visually or on radar. In the process of preparing for a position report to air traffic control, the flight crew overheard another airline flight ahead of them reporting an encounter with moderate to severe turbulence. The captain decided to secure the cabin as a precaution. The purser was notified of the decision and the captain was in the process of reaching for the seat belt sign when the turbulence was encountered. All of the injured passengers were located aft of row 50, with the majority aft of row 58. None of the injured were secured by seat belts.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,857 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days; 66 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,793 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 10, 1994; 5,596 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 875,000 lb
- Seats: 441
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PW4056 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VHHH Hong Kong OF
- Destination: KSFO San Francisco CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: -47°F (-44°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 22 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 5 | 309 |
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.