On Dec 22nd 2025, a Japan Airlines Boeing 787-9 was rocked by unexpected turbulence over the Pacific Ocean, resulting in serious injuries to a cabin crew member and prompting an official accident investigation by Japanese authorities.
The aircraft, registered JA865J, was operating flight JL-57 from San Francisco to Tokyo Narita with 185 passengers and 13 crew on board. While cruising at FL380 approximately 650 nautical miles south of Kamchatka Island, the jet encountered turbulence strong enough to seriously injure a flight attendant. Despite the incident, the crew assessed the situation and elected to continue the flight, landing safely in Tokyo about three and a half hours later.
Japan’s Ministry of Transport later classified the occurrence as an accident after confirming that the injured flight attendant suffered a fracture of the right medial cuneiform bone. At the time of the turbulence, the flight attendant had been checking a lavatory for passengers and was returning to their seat after the seat belt sign had been switched on when the aircraft was jolted.
On Jan 23rd 2026, the Japan Transport Safety Board confirmed that one cabin crew member had sustained serious injuries during the flight and announced that a formal investigation is underway. The incident highlights once again the unpredictable nature of clear-air turbulence and the risks it poses even during routine cruise segments of long-haul flights.
