Boeing 747-200 accident near Atlantic Ocean, AO, April 18, 1998
On April 18, 1998 at about 6:37 pm local time, a Boeing 747-200, registered N623FF, suffered minor damage in an accident near Atlantic Ocean, AO. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 2 people were seriously injured and 18 people had minor injuries; 399 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The injured passengers failure to follow the directions to fasten their seat belts, prior to an encounter with clear air turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 1998 · about 6:37 pm local time
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean, AO
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 18 people had minor injuries; 399 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-200 · all 747-200s on the register
- Registration
- N623FF · no longer on the register · serial 22382
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Paris France, to New York, New York. The flight crew had been briefed on the possibility of encountering clear air turbulence. The seat belt sign was turned on about 30 to 45 minutes prior to the encounter, and announcements were made in both French and English for the passengers to fasten their seat belts. An additional announcement was made about 10 minutes before the encounter. Meal service was taking place in the main cabin and the flight attendants were not seated. The airplane encountered clear air turbulence and several unsecured passengers and flight attendants were tossed about. In addition two seat belt fitting failed under the loads. Metallurgical examination of the failed fittings found intergranular failure. A check of additional fittings revealed specified metallurgy.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 8,300 in this make and model; 181 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 626 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 6, 1998; 155 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 820,000 lb
- Seats: 494
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-50E2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tower Air INC.
The flight
- Departed from: LFPO Paris, France OF at 11:11 am
- Destination: KJFK New York NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: -63°F (-53°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | 15 | ||
| Passengers | 2 | 15 | 384 |
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.