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19960912042609I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Saab 340B · Palm Springs, CA · September 12, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 12, 1996 · 19:20 local
Place
Palm Springs, CA
Airport
Palm Springs Regional Airport
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
WWMA
Aircraft
N256AE
Reported as
Saab 340B
People aboard
14
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
8,000 total1,000 in this make and model150 in the last 90 days
N256AERegistration cancelled Mar 12, 2018 · Saab-Scania SAAB 340BS/N 340B-256Airframe modelSaab-Scania SAAB 340B

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: American eagle flight 240 (EGF240) was descending through 11,000 feet and just passing over a mountain range when the aircraft experienced what captain gunther called severe turbulence. The turbulence was reported as one jolt. Captain gunther said that the aircraft's nose went down as the entire aircraft first went up, then the aircraft abruptly dropped. Both pilots had their seatbelts and shoulder harnesses on and their heads hit the back of their seats. All eleven passengers had their seatbelts on, the seatbelt sign had been illuminated on for at least ten minutes. The only flight attendant was in the isle conducting her safety check when the jolt hit and she was thrown to the floor. Captain gunther said that some passengers hit, bumped, their heads on the side wall of the airplane's cabin. Paramedics met the flight at the gate. All the passengers walked off the aircraft. The paramedics checked three passengers and the flight attendant, all departed without further treatment, therefore no injuries are reported in this document. Surface winds were gusting at Palm Springs Regional Airport but no pilot reports for the entire area had been given or received. Captain gunther said the air was clear of clouds. privacy data omitted This is a good example of the importance of good passenger seatbelt discipline. No further action, closed.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: AMERICAN EAGLE FLIGHT 240 (EGF240) WAS DESCENDING THROUGH 11,000 FEET AND JUST PASSING OVER A MOUNTAIN RANGE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED WHAT CAPTAIN GUNTHER CALLED SEVERE TURBULENCE. THE TURBULENCE WAS REPORTED AS ONE JOLT. CAPTAIN GUNTHER SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE WENT DOWN AS THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT FIRST WENT UP, THEN THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY DROPPED. BOTH PILOTS HAD THEIR SEATBELTS AND SHOULDER HARNESSES ON AND THEIR HEADS HIT THE BACK OF THEIR SEATS. ALL ELEVEN PASSENGERS HAD THEIR SEATBELTS ON, THE SEATBELT SIGN HAD BEEN ILLUMINATED ON FOR AT LEAST TEN MINUTES. THE ONLY FLIGHT ATTENDANT WAS IN THE ISLE CONDUCTING HER SAFETY CHECK WHEN THE JOLT HIT AND SHE WAS THROWN TO THE FLOOR. CAPTAIN GUNTHER SAID THAT SOME PASSENGERS HIT, BUMPED, THEIR HEADS ON THE SIDE WALL OF THE AIRPLANE'S CABIN. PARAMEDICS MET THE FLIGHT AT THE GATE. ALL THE PASSENGERS WALKED OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PARAMEDICS CHECKED THREE PASSENGERS AND THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT, ALL DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER TREATMENT, THEREFORE NO INJURIES ARE REPORTED IN THIS DOCUMENT. SURFACE WINDS WERE GUSTING AT PALM SPRINGS REGIONAL AIRPORT BUT NO PILOT REPORTS FOR THE ENTIRE AREA HAD BEEN GIVEN OR RECEIVED. CAPTAIN GUNTHER SAID THE AIR WAS CLEAR OF CLOUDS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD PASSENGER SEATBELT DISCIPLINE. NO FURTHER ACTION, CLOSED.