Boeing 757-251 accident near Wadsworth, Ohio, July 22, 2003
On July 22, 2003 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Boeing 757-251, registered N504US, was involved in an accident near Wadsworth, Ohio. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 110 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight encounter with turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2003 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wadsworth, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 110 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-251 · all 757-251s on the register
- Registration
- N504US · no longer on the register · serial 23193
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While climbing through 29,000 feet, the airplane encountered unreported clear air turbulence. One flight attendant suffered a head injury and was admitted to a hospital for a period of more than 48 hours.
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: 5,953 hours in all; 1,990 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
Co-pilot
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PW2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Northwest Airlines Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: DTW Detroit MI
- Destination: BWI Baltimore MD
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Passengers | 107 |
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.