Boeing 767 accident near Pago Pago, Aq, December 3, 2010
On December 3, 2010 at about 10:42 am local time, a Boeing 767, registered N584HA, was involved in an accident during initial climb near Pago Pago (Tafuna/Pago Pago Internl Airpo airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 181 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s encounter with convectively-induced turbulence, which resulted in serious injury to one flight attendant.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 2010 · about 10:42 am local time
- Place
- Pago Pago, Antarctica · Tafuna/Pago Pago Internl Airpo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 181 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767 3G5 · all 767s on the register
- Registration
- N584HA · no longer on the register · serial 24258
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after departure, the airplane experienced what the captain described as three or four “jolts” of moderate turbulence. The captain reported clear skies with thunderstorms in the area. The seatbelt sign was illuminated in the cabin, and the passengers were in their seat. One flight attendant, who was in the aft cabin preparing a beverage cart, sustained serious injuries. The airplane continued to climb and the remainder of the flight was uneventful. The flight data recorder recorded vertical and lateral accelerations consistent with a turbulence encounter. According to the FDR, the disturbance lasted less than 10 seconds, and there was a change in wind speed and direction evident around that time period. Although no convective activity was noted at the accident location at the accident time, satellite imagery identified convective activity in the region. The airplane was ascending near a boundary defined by a significant decrease in atmospheric moisture. This type of boundary is conducive to the propagation of gravity waves and most likely contributed to the convectively-induced turbulence that the airplane encountered.
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
What happened, in order
- Turbulence encounter during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,302 hours in all; 5,800 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command; 350 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 412,000 lb
- Seats: 272
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P & W 4060 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: International Lease Finance Corp
The flight
- Departed from: STU American Samoa at 10:30 am
- Destination: HNL Honolulu HI
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 070° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 22,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 am from NSTU, 100 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| Flight crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 172 |
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.