NTSB CAROL · Event
Event MIA91LA005
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
FAILURE OF THE CAPTAIN TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES, HIS IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO CONTINUE INTO THE OVERHANG (ANVIL) OF A THUNDERSTORM, FAILURE OF THE PASSENGERS TO ABIDE BY PROCEDURES/INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING USE OF SEAT BELTS, AND FAILURE OF THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS TO ENFORCE THE USE OF SEATBELTS. THE WEATHER CONDITION (TURBULENCE) WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Factual narrative
EASTERN AIRLINE FLT 791 ENCTRD TURBULENCE WHILE EN ROUTE AT 31,000 FT AS IT FLEW THRU THE OVERHANG OF A THUNDERSTORM. FLT THRU OVERHANGS WAS CONTRARY TO THE COMPANY FLT OPNS PROCEDURES. THREE PSGRS RCVD SERIOUS INJURIES & ONE OF THESE (84 YRS OLD) DIED 20 DAYS AFTER THE ACDNT. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER LISTED THE CAUSE OF DEATH AS 'ASPIRATION PNEUMONIA AND PNEUMOTHORAX DUE TO BLUNT TRAUMA DUE TO COMMERCIAL AIRLINE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER.' CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEATH WAS 'OCCLUSIVE CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS.' ALSO, 23 PSGRS RCVD MINOR INJURIES. ACCORDING TO FLT ATTENDANTS, ALL INJURED PSGRS WERE EITHER STANDING IN THE AISLE OR LAVARATORIES OR IN SEATS WITHOUT BELTS ON. THE SEAT BELT SIGN HAD BEEN ON SINCE DEPARTURE; BEFORE DEPARTURE, FLT ATTENDANTS HAD BRIEFED THE PSGRS TO REMAIN SEATED WITH BELTS ON AT ALL TIMES WHILE THE SEAT BELT LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. FLT ATTENDANTS INDCD THAT THEY HAD NOT ENFORCED THE SEAT BELT INSTRUCTION. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1990_MIA91LA005.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (turbulence, thunderstorm). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Contractor Report (CR)
An Examination of Aviation Accidents Associated with Turbulence, Wind Shear and Thunderstorm
The focal point of the study reported here was the definition and examination of turbulence, wind shear and thunderstorm in relation to aviation accidents.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Observations of severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops
Data derived from the flight tapes of two airliners that experienced severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops are used to produce quantitative descriptions of the turbulence and its environment.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Proceedings
Operational evaluation of thunderstorm penetration test flights during project Storm Hazards '80
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is conducting a research project called Storm Hazards '80 in order to study the prediction, detectability and avoidance of the hazards of severe storm…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Severe Turbulence and Maneuvering from Airline Flight Records
Digital flight records from reported clear-air turbulence incidents are used to determine winds and turbulence, to determine maneuver g loads, and to analyze control problems.
- arXiv 2026 · arXiv preprint
Direct Numerical Simulations of Ice-Ocean Boundary Turbulence
Turbulent heat and freshwater transport at ice-ocean interfaces controls glacier and iceberg melt rates, yet the underlying physics remains poorly constrained.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2025 · Journal article (JAAER)
Political Turbulence and Aviation Safety: A Cross-National Analysis of Political Stability's Effects on Aviation Accidents
To what extent does political stability affect aviation safety? This research aims to link domestic political conditions and public safety through the consideration of aviation accident frequency.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗