Investigation brief · generated 2026-10-09 · source: NTSB public docket and accident database
BOEING 767 — Pago Pago, AQ, 2010-12-03
NTSB number
WPR11LA071
Operator
International Lease Finance Corp
Registration
N584HA
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
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 airplane’s encounter with convectively-induced turbulence, which resulted in serious injury to one flight attendant.
Verbatim, NTSB determination.
Flight data recorder
— 541 samples, 18 parameters, 10:33:20.0 to 10:42:20.0.
Parameter
Max
at
Min
at
Final
at
Pressure altitude ft
19,806.0
10:42:19.0
84.0
10:34:01.0
19,806.0
10:42:19.0
Computed airspeed kts
384.0
10:33:23.0
0.0
10:33:20.0
329.0
10:42:19.0
Vertical acceleration g
1.6
10:42:00.0
0.4
10:42:03.0
1.0
10:42:19.0
Computed from the docket's tabular attachment; times as recorded (local or SRN as published).
Sequence of events (FDR factual report)
Time
Event
Page
10:34 UTC
Aircraft took off
3
~10:38 UTC
Autopilot was engaged about 4 minutes after takeoff during climbout
3
~10:42 UTC
Approximately 8 minutes after takeoff, as the aircraft was about to pass through 19000 feet, the aircraft experienced perturbations in the acceleration parameters
3
~10:42 UTC
The vertical acceleration parameter increased to +1.59 g's and within 2 seconds decreased to +.66 g's
3
~10:42 UTC
Vertical acceleration increased again to record a maximum value of +1.75 g's and then decreased to record a minimum value of +.05 g's 2 seconds later
3
~10:42 UTC
The lateral acceleration parameter registered a minimum of -.16 g's and a maximum of +.14 g's over the same period
3
~10:42 UTC
The disturbance lasted less than 10 seconds and there was a change in wind speed and direction evident around that time period
3
post-disturbance
The aircraft continued to climb and the remainder of the flight was uneventful
3
15:34 UTC
The aircraft landed
3
Extracted by claude-sonnet-5; 7 of 9 stated events verified against the raw recorder data.