Oman Air Boeing 787-9 Turbulence Incident (A4O-SH)

Incident Overview and Investigation Authority On 18 October 2023, Oman Air flight WY131, operating a Boeing 787-9 with registration A4O-SH, encountered severe turbulence during its climb phase from Muscat International Airport (OOMS) to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (LFPG). The incident was investigated by the Oman Transport Safety Bureau (OTSB) under its Air Accident Investigation Section, in accordance with Civil Aviation Law 76/2019 and Civil Aviation Regulation CAR-13. The investigation was conducted to prevent future accidents and incidents, not to apportion blame or liability. ## Flight Details and Crew The aircraft departed Muscat International Airport at 10:20 UTC on runway 08L, carrying 2 flight deck crew, 9 cabin crew, and 150 passengers. The Pilot In Command (PIC) served as Pilot Flying (PF), while the First Officer (FO) was Pilot Monitoring (PM). The flight plan routed the aircraft via waypoints IVETO, LOPIL, and ITRAX. ## Turbulence Encounter and Injuries During the climb, the aircraft encountered light turbulence at 10:32 UTC while passing FL194. At 10:35:54 UTC, while climbing through FL246, the aircraft encountered light turbulence with a rate of climb of 3,100 feet per minute. Approximately one minute and 29 seconds later, at 10:37:23 UTC, while passing FL278, the aircraft encountered severe turbulence with a vertical acceleration of 2g and a rate of climb of 3,764 feet per minute. The turbulence lasted until 10:37:50 UTC, when the aircraft recovered at FL286. During the turbulence, cabin crew member R3, who was serving the second row of the economy cabin, lost balance and fell. R3 was assisted by a passenger to stand and secured in an empty seat. Cabin crew member R4, who was in the galley, secured the galley and moved to stand next to L4, waiting for instructions from the Cabin Director. ## Aftermath and Safety The aircraft cleared the turbulence and continued its flight, landing safely at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The incident resulted in minor injuries to some cabin crew members, and glasses and plates fell and broke. The OTSB published its final report on 21 January 2024.