Boeing 767-332ER accident near Atlanta, Georgia, September 20, 2000
On September 20, 2000 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Boeing 767-332ER, registered N172DZ, was involved in an accident near Atlanta, Georgia. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 3 people were seriously injured and 17 people had minor injuries; 230 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an in-flight encounter with turbulence in clouds during a normal descent, resulting in serious injuries.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 2000 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 17 people had minor injuries; 230 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767-332ER · all 767-332ERs on the register
- Registration
- N172DZ · registry record · serial 29691
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was descending out of FL290, when it encountered severe turbulence. The first officer was the pilot flying at the time, the speed brakes were extended, the airspeed was 290 knots, and weather radar was in use, with no indications of conditions associated with turbulence. There were no reports of turbulence from either air traffic control (ATC), or other aircraft. The seat belt sign was "ON" for 10 minutes prior to the accident. At the time of the accident the flight attendants were in the galleys and aisles performing cabin duties associated with the beginning of descent. When the turbulence was encountered, they were thrown initially upward, and then deposited into various positions on the floor and seats. Passengers who had not fastened their seat belts were also thrown vertically upward, and then back down. The flight was provided priority handling for landing, and landed at Atlanta without further incident. According to the flight attendants the flight had encountered "a little chop" while climbing. The "fasten seatbelt" sign was off until they encountered an area of moderate turbulence when the "fasten seatbelt" sign came on and the captain made an announcement. The sign did not go out for the remainder of the flight. The flight attendants had just finished the beverage service and the galley carts were being restocked. The airplane "buffeted for 4-6 seconds." Three flight attendants in the aft galley were "pretty badly hurt." Five flight attendants and three passengers were transported to area hospitals for their injuries.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,875 hours in all; 2,293 in this make and model; 141 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,952 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 6, 2000; 146 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 407,000 lb
- Seats: 267
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-80C2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLL Fort Lauderdale FL at 8:25 pm
- Destination: ATL GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 187°F (86°C), dew point 162°F (72°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from WRB, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| Passengers | 13 | 228 |
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.