Boeing 747-422 accident near Pacific Ocean, A1, February 19, 2013
On February 19, 2013 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Boeing 747-422, registered N174UA, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Pacific Ocean (San Francisco International Ai airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 220 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight’s encounter with moderate clear air turbulence while en route, which resulted in a serious injury to a flight attendant. Contributing to the accident was the lack of communication equipment in the rest compartment, which, if installed, could have alerted the cabin crewmembers that the seatbelt sign was on.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 2013 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pacific Ocean, A1 · San Francisco International Ai · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 220 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-422 · all 747-422s on the register
- Registration
- N174UA · no longer on the register · serial 24381
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight crew reported that the flight experienced unexpected light-to-moderate turbulence during cruise flight for about 3 hours. The seatbelt sign was illuminated, and the passengers and flight attendants had been seated. A flight attendant, who was on her rest break and was resting in the bunk room, reported that the turbulence had stopped for a while and that she thought she heard a "faint ding" indicating that the seatbelt sign had been turned off, so she went to the lavatory. However, the flight then encountered moderate turbulence, during which the flight attendant sustained a serious injury while walking from her bunk to the lavatory. The flight attendant reported that announcements made over the public address system could not be heard in the bunk room and that it was not always possible to hear when the seatbelt sign was turned on or off. It is likely that, if the flight attendant had a visual indication that the seatbelt sign was on, she would not have attempted to get up until safe movement was assured.
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Clear air turbulence › Effect on equipment
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Communications system › Interphone › Not installed/available
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 15,500 hours in all; 5,453 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 20, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,094 hours in all; 2,835 in this make and model; 147 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 3,480 as pilot in command; 826 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 21, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Seat: none
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 495
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W PW4000 SER (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W PW4000 SER (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 3: P&W PW4000 SER (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 4: P&W PW4000 SER (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: YSSY Sydney at 5:39 am
- Destination: SFO San Franscisco CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 236° at 78 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: -80°F (-62°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 14 | ||
| Flight crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 202 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N174UA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.