N253AY – BOEING 767-2B7 – 2011-10-20 NTSB Accident Report

On October 20, 2011, a Boeing 767-2B7 (N253AY) was involved in an accident near New York, NY. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury, with 215 people uninjured out of 216 aboard.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The passenger's lack of compliance with the illuminated seatbelt sign, which resulted in her injury during a turbulence encounter.

According to the flight crew and a flight attendant, about 15 minutes after departure, the airplane was climbing through flight level 220. Although the captain allowed the use of approved portable electronic devices (PED) as the airplane climbed above 10,000 feet, the fasten seatbelt sign had remained illuminated for the climb. When the PED use was allowed, a couple of passengers began to move about the cabin, including one that went to the lavatory. As the passenger was exiting the lavatory and returning to her seat, the airplane encountered unforecast moderate turbulence. The passenger subsequently fell down in the aisle and suffered a fractured ankle. The flight returned to the departure airport.

This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA12CA044. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N253AY.