Boeing 767-300 accident near San Francisco, California, February 25, 1997
On February 25, 1997 at about 9:09 pm local time, a Boeing 767-300, registered N661UA, was involved in an accident near San Francisco, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 109 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an encounter with unforecasted moderate clear air turbulence, while descending over mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 1997 · about 9:09 pm local time
- Place
- San Francisco, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 109 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767-300 · all 767-300s on the register
- Registration
- N661UA · registry record · serial 27158
- 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 flight attendant sustained a serious injury after the aircraft experienced a single, severe jolt of unforecasted moderate clear air turbulence during the descent over mountainous terrain. The seat belt sign was not illuminated at the time.
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; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,644 hours in all; 793 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,622 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 23, 1997; 480 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 470,000 lb
- Seats: 209
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PW4060 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CDG Paris
- Destination: SFO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 13 | ||
| Passengers | 96 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX97LA112.