What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The facts are unclear. The first officer's statement associates the report of the injured passenger with an abrupt level-off accomplished by the captain, who was flying. He states in part, "the pilot flying immediately pulled the aircraft out of the descent and leveled the aircraft off at FL330. At most we descended 200 feet below the assigned altitude. The maneuver was abrupt and we immediately were called by the flight attendants in the rear of the aircraft inquiring what had happened. The captain informed them that we had hit turbulence. The fasten seat belt sign had been illuminated before this occurred. The flight attendants informed us that a passenger had injured her ankle." The captain states the autopilot was engaged during the descent and level-off and the level-off was accomplished before an encounter with turbulence.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE FACTS ARE UNCLEAR. THE FIRST OFFICER'S STATEMENT ASSOCIATES THE REPORT OF THE INJURED PASSENGER WITH AN ABRUPT LEVEL-OFF ACCOMPLISHED BY THE CAPTAIN, WHO WAS FLYING. HE STATES IN PART, "THE PILOT FLYING IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF THE DESCENT AND LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT OFF AT FL330. AT MOST WE DESCENDED 200 FEET BELOW THE ASSIGNED ALTITUDE. THE MANEUVER WAS ABRUPT AND WE IMMEDIATELY WERE CALLED BY THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS IN THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT INQUIRING WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE CAPTAIN INFORMED THEM THAT WE HAD HIT TURBULENCE. THE FASTEN SEAT BELT SIGN HAD BEEN ILLUMINATED BEFORE THIS OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS INFORMED US THAT A PASSENGER HAD INJURED HER ANKLE." THE CAPTAIN STATES THE AUTOPILOT WAS ENGAGED DURING THE DESCENT AND LEVEL-OFF AND THE LEVEL-OFF WAS ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE AN ENCOUNTER WITH TURBULENCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.