Boeing 747-238B incident near Pacific Ocean, PO, January 20, 1999
On January 20, 1999, a Boeing 747-238B, registered N14024, suffered minor damage in an incident near Pacific Ocean, PO. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 14 people had minor injuries; 340 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An encounter with Clear Air Turbulence at Flight Level 330.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 1999
- Place
- Pacific Ocean, PO
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 14 people had minor injuries; 340 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-238B · all 747-238Bs on the register
- Registration
- N14024 · no longer on the register · serial 20534
- 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 Continental Airlines Boeing 747-238B departed Tokyo en route to Honolulu on a regularly scheduled passenger flight. The crew reported that turbulence had been forecasted. Approximately 59 minutes after departure, while cruising at FL330 in dark night conditions, the captain observed a sudden fluctuation in outside air temperature and the aircraft entered an area of wave activity. The Captain illuminated the seat belt signs and within 5-8 seconds the aircraft encountered severe clear air turbulence (CAT) which lasted for approximately 10 minutes. The aircraft continued on to its destination of Honolulu, Hawaii. Review of meteorological information indicated two jet streams traversing the area, one at 34,000 feet at 160 knots, and the other to the south at 39,000 feet at 180 knots. The jet streams generally diverged in the area of the event. A satellite image taken at the time of the event indicated a band of high level clouds in the immediate area. The clouds were aligned in a 'band' formation oriented northwest to southeast, and perpendicular to the wind flow pattern. This pattern was similar to previous CAT encounters with transverse wave cloud patterns. No useful information was available from either the cockpit voice or flight data recorders.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 32,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 63 in the last 30 days; 25,000 as pilot in command; 5,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,109 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 19, 1999; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 785,000 lb
- Seats: 450
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D-7F (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NRT Tokyo OF
- Destination: HNL Honolulu HI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: -35°F (-37°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | 14 | ||
| Passengers | 10 | 326 |
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.