Douglas DC-9 accident near Plainfield, Pennsylvania, January 15, 1999
On January 15, 1999 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Douglas DC-9, registered N300ME, was involved in an accident near Plainfield, Pennsylvania. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 59 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The wake turbulence from the proceeding Boeing 747.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 15, 1999 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Plainfield, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 59 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-9 · all DC-9s on the register
- Registration
- N300ME · registry record · serial 45718
- 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 DC-9 departed and climbed to flight level 290. About 1 hour and 35 minutes after departure, the airplane was cleared by ATC to 17,000 feet msl. Upon receiving the clearance, the captain initiated approximately a 3,500 foot per minute descent, and slowed to 280 knots. While in the descent and passing flight level 235, the airplane encountered the wake turbulence of a cargo Boeing 747, which was 12 nautical miles ahead and also descending to 17,000 feet msl. The captain of the DC-9 pitched the airplane's nose up to exit the wake turbulence, and requested additional separation between the two airplanes from ATC. During the wake turbulence encounter, a flight attendant in the galley slipped, and seriously injured her right ankle.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,039 hours in all; 3,367 in this make and model; 136 in the last 90 days; 78 in the last 30 days; 3,816 as pilot in command; 386 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 65,241 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 13, 1999; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 90,700 lb
- Seats: 64
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-7B (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKE Milwaukee WI at 3:10 pm
- Destination: PHL Philadelphia PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; scat at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:20 pm from PIT, 130 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 4 | ||
| Passengers | 55 |
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 NYC99LA050.