NTSB Identification: DCA16WA040
Incident occurred Wednesday, December 30, 2015 in Calgary, Canada
Aircraft: Boeing 777-333ER, registration:
Injuries: Unavailable
The foreign authority was the source of this information.
The NTSB was notified of an incident involving a Boeing B777-333 aircraft, registration C-FRAM, that occurred enroute from Shanghai, China to Toronto, Canada, which resulted in the flight being diverted to Calgary, Canada.
The incident is being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the TSB investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the State of Manufacturer of the aircraft.
The TSB can be contacted at:
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
200 Promenade du Portage
Place du Centre, 4th floor
Gatineau QC K1A 1K8
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) investigated this occurrence for the purpose of advancing transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.
Severe turbulence encounter
Air Canada
Boeing 777-333ER, C-FRAM
Anchorage, Alaska, 85 nm ENE
30 December 2015
Summary
On 30 December 2015, the Air Canada Boeing 777-333ER (registration C-FRAM, serial number 35250) was operating as flight 088 (ACA088) from Shanghai/Pudong Airport, China, to Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Ontario. At 1924 Coordinated Universal Time, 8 hours into the flight, ACA088 encountered severe turbulence at flight level 330, approximately 85 nautical miles east-northeast of Anchorage, Alaska, United States. During the encounter, 21 passengers were injured, 1 of whom was seriously injured. ACA088 diverted to Calgary International Airport, Alberta, and landed approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes later. Damage to the aircraft was limited to interior furnishings and a V-clamp for ducting on the Number 2 air conditioning system that failed.
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Factual information
1.1 History of the flight
On 30 December 2015, the Air Canada Boeing 777-333ER operating as flight 088 (ACA088) was preparing to depart Shanghai/Pudong Airport (ZSPD), China, for Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport (CYYZ), Ontario, with 19 crew members and 332 passengers on board. The planned duration of the flight was 13 hours and 40 minutes. Air Canada dispatch created the route and issued the operational flight plan (OFP) at about 0645 Coordinated Universal Time.Footnote2 This flight plan was printed by the flight crew at 0846. There were no amendments to the planned route.
The flight was scheduled for a 1005 departure, but was delayed due to the aircraft arriving late on the inbound flight from Toronto. ACA088 pushed back from the gate at 1059 and departed Shanghai at 1123.
Owing to the length of the flight, ACA088 had 4 flight crew members: the operating captain and first officer, an augment first officer, and a relief pilot. The flight crew determined their work schedule prior to departure. In this case, the plan was for the operating captain and first officer to carry out the takeoff and establish cruise, and the augment first officer and relief pilot would take over and fly for 3 hours. The operating captain and first officer would then take over for the next 3 hours, and the crews would alternate in this manner for the remainder of the flight. All flight crew members were licensed in accordance with Air Canada policies and the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs).
There were 15 flight attendants on board ACA088, including 2 in-charge flight attendants. This complement ensured that at least 1 in-charge flight attendant would be on duty at all times. At the time of the occurrence, 7 flight attendants and 1 in-charge flight attendant were using the cabin crew rest facility.
The Number 1 air conditioning system had experienced occasional overheating on recent flights, including the inbound flight to Shanghai. Maintenance personnel inspected the system on the ground in Shanghai, but they found no problems and released the aircraft for the flight. During the first few hours of the occurrence flight, the Number 1 system indicated an overheat condition. The flight crew successfully reset the system and the flight continued with both air conditioning systems functioning, although the Number 1 system had a fluctuating duct pressure reading.
At about 1635, the operating captain and first officer received a significant meteorological information (SIGMET) bulletin from Air Canada dispatch via the aircraft communications addressing and report system (ACARS). The SIGMET, referred to as SIGMET I2, forecast an area of occasional severe turbulence along the route of flight for ACA088 between flight level (FL) 260 and FL400. This information was also being communicated through the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC).
At 1745, the operating captain and the first officer were relieved by the augment first officer and the relief pilot, and the 4 flight crew members discussed SIGMET I2. The augment first officer assumed the duties of pilot flying in the right seat, and the relief pilot assumed the duties of pilot monitoring in the left seat. As pilot monitoring, the relief pilot was also responsible for radio communications.
The relief pilot contacted the Anchorage West controller to ask about flight conditions for ACA088's route of flight and altitude. The Anchorage West controller told them that there were reports of light to moderate turbulence associated with the jet stream, but that there had been no reports of moderate or severe turbulence at FL330 at that time.
An Air Canada Boeing 777 operating as flight 016 (ACA016) was 90 minutes ahead of ACA088 on the same route of flight. A third Air Canada flight, a Boeing 787 operating as flight 006 (ACA006), was at FL390 on the same track and was about 60 minutes behind ACA016 and 30 minutes ahead of ACA088.
Read more here: http://www.tsb.gc.ca
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