JAL B773 near Sendai on Jun 24th 2018, turbulence injures one flight attendant

Last Update: November 12, 2019 / 15:46:26 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of JAL Japan Airlines JA8944, Boeing 777-300 — JAL Japan Airlines JA8944, Boeing 777-300 (Photo credit: Hyougushi / Flickr / License: CC by-sa)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jun 24, 2018

Classification
Accident

Cause
Turbulence

Airline
JAL Japan Airlines

Flight number
JL-514

Departure
Sapporo, Japan

Destination
Tokyo Haneda, Japan

Aircraft Registration
JA8944

Aircraft Type
Boeing 777-300

ICAO Type Designator
B773

A JAL Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration JA8944 performing flight JL-514 from Sapporo to Tokyo Haneda (Japan) with 503 passengers and 12 crew, was enroute at FL300 about 50nm north of Sendai (Japan) when the aircraft encountered turbulence causing one of the flight attendants to fall. The aircraft continued for a safe landing at Haneda Airport about 40 minutes later.

Japan's TSB reported the flight attendant received serious injuries. The JTSB opened an investigation into the accident.

JAL reported the flight attendant fractured her left ankle while collecting the cups (following drink service) from passengers.

On Nov 12th 2019 the JTSB released their final report concluding the probable cause of the accident was:

In this accident, it is highly probable that the aircraft encountered clear air turbulence while it was passing through the side edge of the jet stream, and because of that the aircraft was so fiercely shaken that the cabin attendant who was on the aft aisle of the aircraft fell down and was injured.

With regard to the encountering of the aircraft with clear air turbulence, it is probable that the existence of VWS region on the flight route of the aircraft, which was stronger than the forecast confirmed prior to the flight, was attributable to the encountering.

The JTSB reported:

Vertical acceleration speed at the second shaking of the aircraft varied by increase from +0.82G to +1.50G followed by decrease to 0.31G and increase again to 1.71G (see Figure 4) in approximately three seconds. Besides, echo was not displayed on airborne weather radar of the aircraft. The seat belt sign was turned off because the aircraft kept stable cruising from take-off and climbing until the occurrence of the shaking. Immediately after the occurrence of the shaking, the FO illuminated the seat belt sign, and the aircraft descended to the altitude FL260 and continued the flight. The aircraft landed at Tokyo International Airport at 16:34.

With respect to the injury of the flight attendant the JTSB reported:

At this time, a cabin attendant who was holding a tray to collect used cups on the aft aisle of the aircraft tried to grasp an armrest of a passenger seat in accordance with the manual so stipulated by the operator. However, due to the second fiercer shaking occurred about 15 seconds thereafter, the cabin attendant was unable to grasp the armrest, fell down and had her ankle injured after feeling that she was floating.