# Accident 20010426010029A: Aerosp ATR42300, Atlantic Ocean, FL, April 26, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 26, 2001, 14:35 local time - Place: Atlantic Ocean, FL - Phase of flight: Normal Cruise - Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121) - Operator: SIMA - Aircraft: N223AT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N223AT-2003-12-17) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Aerospatiale/Aeritalia ATR 42-300 (registry code 8680920, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-aeritalia-atr-42-300) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120 (registry code 52114, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw120) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AEROSP ATR42300 - Reported engine: PWA PW120 - People aboard: 11 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 9,100 total, 1,600 in this make and model, 215 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA01LA131](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA131) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010426010029A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON APRIL 26, 2001, ABOUT 1435 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE ATR 42-300, N223AT, REGISTERED TO GPA ATR II, INC., OPERATED BY AMERICAL EAGLE AIRLINES, AS FLIGHT 5238, ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TO MODERATE TURBULENCE DURING CRUISE FLIGHT OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 121 SCHEDULED, INTERNATIONAL, PASSENGER FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT DAMAGED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE CAPTAIN, FIRST OFFICER, OR NINE PASSENGERS. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1355 FROM THE GEORGETOWN AIRPORT, GEORGETOWN, BAHAMAS. THE CAPTAIN REPORTED TO HIS COMPANY THAT THE FLIGHT WAS ENCOUNTERING LIGHT RAIN WHILE FLYING AT 16,000 FEET; THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT HAD THE SERVING CART OUT. THE WEATHER AVOIDANCE RADAR WAS NOT INDICATING ANY SERIOUS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY AND THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE FLIGHTCREW THAT HE WAS SHOWING TURBULENCE 20-30 MILES AHEAD. THE FLIGHT WAS VECTORED TO AVOID THE TURBULENCE AND ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE AFTER ENTERING A CLOUD THAT WAS NOT SHOWING ON THE WEATHER RADAR. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT REPORTEDLY BROKE BOTH LOWER BONES IN HER RIGHT LEG; SHE WAS ATTENDED BY A PASSENGER WHO IS AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN (EMT). THE FLIGHT CONTINUED TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE CAPTAIN FIRST DECLARED A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AT 1448 LOCAL, AND ADVISED THE CONTROLLER WHEN ASKED THAT THE FLIGHT HAD ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE 50 MILES BACK. (.4) ON APRIL 26, 2001, ABOUT 1435 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE ATR 42-300, N223AT, REGISTERED TO GPA ATR II, INC., OPERATED BY AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES, AS FLIGHT 5238, ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TO MODERATE TURBULENCE DURING CRUISE FLIGHT OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 121 SCHEDULED, INTERNATIONAL, PASSENGER FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT DAMAGED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE CAPTAIN, FIRST OFFICER, OR NINE PASSENGERS. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1355, FROM THE GEORGETOWN AIRPORT, GEORGETOWN, BAHAMAS. THE CAPTAIN REPORTED THAT WHILE FLYING AT 16,000 FEET IN VISUAL FLIGHT RULES CONDITIONS WITH SCATTERED PRECIPITATION, AIR TRAF FIC CONTROL (ATC) ADVISED OF AN AREA OF TURBULENCE THAT WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 MILES FROM THEIR PRESENT POSITION. THE FLIGHTCREW WAS ADVISED OF A HEADING TO FLY WHICH LED THE AIRPLANE INTO A CLOUD THAT WAS NOT DEPICTED ON THE WEATHER AVOIDANCE RADAR. "IN THIS CLOUD WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE...." ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN EAGLE SAFETY/FLIGHT SERVICE TRIP REPORT (FSTR) WHICH IS AN ATTACHMENT TO THIS REPORT, "[FLIGHT ATTENDANT] ALVAREZ WAS FINISHING HER BEVERAGE SERVICE AND THEY HIT TURBULENCE. SHE FLEW INTO THE AIR TWICE AND CART CAME DOWN ON HER RIGHT LEG. SHE WAS ON HER WAY TO THE GALLEY TO STOW CART." THE CAPTAIN ALSO REPORTED THAT THE AUTOPILOT WHICH WAS ON AT THE TIME, DID NOT DISENGAGE. A PASSENGER WHO IS AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN (EMT), ATTENDED TO THE INJURED FLIGHT ATTENDANT AND WAS ASSISTED INITIALLY BY THE FIRST OFFICER. A MEDICAL EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED AND THE FLIGHT CONTINUED TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE FIRST REPORT TO ATC OCCURRED AT 1448 LOCAL, WHEN, WHILE APPROACHING THE JUNUR INTERSECTION, A FLIGHTCREW MEMBER DECLARED A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND ADVISED THE CONTROLLER THAT THE FLIGHT HAD ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE 50 MILES BACK. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA01LA131](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA131), Apr 26, 2001: Aerospatiale ATR 42-300 (N223AT), Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean), no damage. Probable cause: The in-flight encounter with moderate to severe turbulence in clouds resulting in the serious injury to the flight attendant. A contributing factor in the accident was the poor in-flight planning by… ## Other reports on N223AT (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20000427022329I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000427022329I), Apr 27, 2000: Aerosp ATR42300 (N223AT), Champaign-Urban, IL. (-23)On 4/27/2000, at 0710 CDT, ATR42300, being operated by simmons airlines as American eagle fligth 374, as a revenue fligth from Champaign willard airport… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.