Summary of the Accident
On February 10, 2008, a Boeing 737-300, registered B2906, operated by Air China Limited, departed Beijing Capital International Airport at 17:34 local time as scheduled Flight 161 bound for Kansai International Airport. The aircraft carried 73 occupants: the pilot in command, 10 other crewmembers, and 62 passengers. At approximately 19:19 Japan Standard Time, while cruising at an altitude of about 31,400 ft above Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, the aircraft was shaken. A passenger walking in the aisle of the aft cabin section suffered serious injuries. The aircraft itself was not damaged.
History of the Flight
The cockpit crew consisted of a Second Pilot in Command seated in the left seat as pilot flying, a Co-Pilot in the right seat as pilot not flying, and the Pilot in Command seated in a rear crewmember seat. The cabin was staffed by a Chief Purser, four flight attendants, a maintenance engineer, a security staff member, and an off-duty co-pilot. The seat belt sign remained illuminated throughout the flight.
According to the Digital Flight Data Recorder and air traffic control communications, the aircraft initially flew at Flight Level 330 over South Korea with the autopilot engaged. Before reaching Miho VORTAC, Tokyo Area Control Center instructed the aircraft to fly directly to SAEKI, and the heading was adjusted. Subsequently, at approximately 19:18:13, the aircraft began descending from FL330 to FL250 at a rate of about 2,000 ft per minute. At about 19:19:03, while at a pressure altitude of about 31,500 ft, the computed airspeed increased rapidly and the control column moved toward the pitch-up direction. The autopilot disengaged at 19:19:06. Between 19:19:08 and 19:19:11, vertical acceleration fluctuated dramatically, dropping from about 2.2 G to about 0.0 G and then rising to about 2.0 G. The pitch angle changed repeatedly until about 19:19:27, accompanied by vertical acceleration variations.
Injuries and Aftermath
Approximately five minutes after the turbulence subsided, the Chief Purser reported to the Pilot in Command that a passenger had been injured. The injured passenger, who had been returning from an aft lavatory, was seated in Seat 22D and was attended to by a flight attendant. The Pilot in Command did not request priority handling from air traffic control but contacted the company's operations support service at Kansai International Airport to arrange an ambulance. The aircraft continued to Kansai International Airport without further incident and landed uneventfully.