United Airlines Flight 826 (1997)

United Airlines Flight 826

The aircraft involved in the accident, N4723U, at London Heathrow Airport in 1992
Accident summary
Date December 28, 1997
Summary Clear-air turbulence
Site Pacific Ocean
Passengers 374
Crew 19
Injuries (non-fatal) 18
Fatalities 1 (from injuries)
Survivors 392
Aircraft type Boeing 747-122
Operator United Airlines
Registration ‹The template Airreg is being considered for deletion.› N4723U
Flight origin Narita International Airport
Destination Honolulu International Airport

On December 28, 1997, United Airlines Flight 826 was a Boeing 747-100 flying from Narita International Airport, Japan to Honolulu International Airport in Hawaii. Two hours into the flight, at 9400 meters (31,000 ft), the plane received reports of severe clear-air turbulence in the area and the seat belt sign was turned on. Moments later, the aircraft suddenly dropped around 30 meters (100 ft),[1][2] seriously injuring 15 passengers and 3 crew members, although there was no structural damage to the aircraft. The plane turned around and landed safely back in Tokyo, but it was not put back in service since it had been scheduled to be retired in early 1998. One passenger died of her injuries after landing in Tokyo.[3] The deceased was a 32-year old Japanese woman.[4]

United used the Flight 826 designation on its Guam to Tokyo-Narita using a Boeing 777-200 aircraft (no United Airlines flight uses this flight number as of March 2013). Currently, the flight route designation for United's flight from Narita to Honolulu is now Flight 880 using a Boeing 777-200ER.

Footnotes

  1. NTSB Press Release
  2. NTSB Accident Report (Factual)
  3. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-122 N4723U Tokyo." Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on July 4, 2009.
  4. "NTSB examines data recorder from turbulent United flight." CNN. December 30, 1997. Retrieved on December 23, 2014.

External links