Investigation brief · generated 2026-10-09 · source: NTSB public docket and accident database
BOEING 767 332 — San Juan, PR, USA, 2009-05-20
NTSB number
DCA09CA051
Operator
Delta Air Lines
Registration
N129DL
Highest injury
Serious injury
Regulation
Part 121
Damage
—
Cohort
Part 121 airline
Recorder data
Tier 1 — decoded recorder tables
Every sentence below is taken directly from NTSB records — the accident database, the docket's recorder reports and the Board's findings — with its source noted. Nothing is paraphrased or inferred.
NTSB summary
On May 20, 2009, at 1230 eastern daylight time, Delta Airlines flight 419, a Boeing 767, N129DL, encountered turbulence while enroute from Atlanta, Georgia, to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The captain stated that preflight information and enroute reports indicated only light chop for the flight and he communicated this to the flight attendants. About 10 minutes before the turbulence encounter, the captain turned on the seat belt sign and made an announcement for the passengers to remain in their seats with the seat belt fastened because they would be deviating around weather ahead. After deviating around the weather and with no weather returns on the radar, the flight encountered turbulence that lasted for about 20 seconds. At the time of the turbulence encounter, the airplane was in cruise at Flight Level 350. One of the flight attendants in the back of the airplane was thrown from her jump seat to the floor and injured. Two doctors and a nurse assisted the injured flight attendant. The flight crew declared an emergency and was given direct routing to San Juan. The injured flight attendant was transported to the hospital, where she was subsequently diagnosed with a fractured femur.
Inadvertent encounter with convective turbulence while in cruise.
Verbatim, NTSB determination.
Flight data recorder
— 12,001 samples, 26 parameters, 00:53:20.0 to 04:13:20.0.
Parameter
Max
at
Min
at
Final
at
Pressure altitude ft
37,029.0
01:56:15.0
538.0
04:13:19.0
538.0
04:13:19.0
Computed airspeed kts
325.0
03:56:01.0
0.0
00:53:20.0
160.5
04:13:19.0
Pitch attitude deg
14.9
00:54:16.0
-4.0
04:05:16.0
-1.2
04:13:19.0
Roll attitude deg
27.8
00:56:21.0
-24.6
03:54:14.0
0.7
04:13:19.0
Magnetic heading deg
178.6
00:57:03.0
73.8
03:57:27.0
99.1
04:13:19.0
Computed from the docket's tabular attachment; times as recorded (local or SRN as published).
Sequence of events (FDR factual report)
Time
Event
Page
about 2 h 20 min after takeoff
Cruising at 37,000 ft at approximately 260 knots indicated, the airplane descended to 35,000 ft
3
about 3 minutes later
Rapidly changing lateral and vertical accelerations for approximately 20 seconds; the airplane rolled 25 degrees right and pitched down 2 degrees before returning to its previous attitude; autopilot engaged throughout
3
onset of event
Elevators jostled then returned; outboard ailerons fixed while inboard ailerons deflected toward a right roll; rudder deflected right; no rudder pedal or column input; control wheel deflected 10 degrees right concurrent with the inboard aileron deflection; no slat or flap deployment
3
event
Maximum lateral accelerations approximately +0.25 g and -0.10 g; maximum vertical accelerations approximately +1.6 g and +0.5 g; temperature steady while wind speed and direction fluctuated
3
about 55 minutes after the event
Flight 419 landed
3
Extracted by claude-fable-5-1 (in-session); 3 of 5 stated events verified against the raw recorder data.