Incident Overview
A Dassault Aviation Falcon 900EX, operated by two airline transport rated pilots and carrying four passengers, departed from Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, destined for Honolulu International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii. The aircraft initially climbed to flight level 340 (FL 340) and was subsequently cleared to FL 360 while proceeding along airway A332.
Flight Conditions
During the flight, the aircraft encountered intermittent light to occasionally moderate turbulence. The crew made repeated requests to Air Traffic Control for a higher altitude, but these requests were not approved. Approximately halfway through the flight, the aircraft's track began to converge obliquely with a cold frontal system extending southwest through the Hawaiian Islands. The aircraft encountered headwinds exceeding 100 knots, approximately 30 degrees to the right of the aircraft's track.
Injury Event
Approximately 4 hours and 17 minutes into the flight, the aircraft was operating in the tops of clouds with good visibility. At that time, a passenger and her attendant left their seats to use the lavatory located in the rear of the aircraft. While they were out of their seats, the aircraft experienced moderate turbulence for a period of ten seconds or less, and the attendant sustained a fractured ankle.
Post-Event Actions
Immediately following the turbulence event, the crew requested and received approval to climb to FL 370.