20090827049429A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Boeing 717-200 · Inverness, FL · August 27, 2009

Date: August 27, 2009 · 16:03 local
Place: Inverness, FL
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator: ZZDA
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N994AT
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA09LA488
Reported as: Boeing 717-200
People aboard: 84
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 18,350 total8,642 in this make and model197 in the last 90 days

N994ATRegistered now · Boeing 717-200S/N 55138 · Built 2002 Airframe modelBoeing 717-200 Engine modelRolls-Royce BR-700 seriesTurbo-fan

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.

Airtran airways flight 163, a Boeing 717-200, N994AT, encountered turbulence while in climb near Inverness, Florida, during which one flight attendant sustained serious injuries. According to the flight crew the aircraft was in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with "very mild light chop" climbing through flight level 250 when it encountered turbulence for about 10 seconds. The flight crew reported that there were no reports of turbulence from other aircraft or ATC and no thunderstorm activity was displayed on the radar. During the turbulence encounter the flight attendant's leg was injured when both the flight attendant and the service cart "came off the floor", and the cart struck the flight attendant's leg. The extent of the injury was such that the flight attendant could not continue to perform her assigned duties. The injury was subsequently diagnosed as a fractured tibia and a crushed ankle.

As the FAA filed it

AIRTRAN AIRWAYS FLIGHT 163, A BOEING 717-200, N994AT, ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE WHILE IN CLIMB NEAR INVERNESS, FLORIDA, DURING WHICH ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT CREW THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) WITH "VERY MILD LIGHT CHOP" CLIMBING THROUGH FLIGHT LEVEL 250 WHEN IT ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS. THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF TURBULENCE FROM OTHER AIRCRAFT OR ATC AND NO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS DISPLAYED ON THE RADAR. DURING THE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT'S LEG WAS INJURED WHEN BOTH THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT AND THE SERVICE CART "CAME OFF THE FLOOR", AND THE CART STRUCK THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT'S LEG. THE EXTENT OF THE INJURY WAS SUCH THAT THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT COULD NOT CONTINUE TO PERFORM HER ASSIGNED DUTIES. THE INJURY WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DIAGNOSED AS A FRACTURED TIBIA AND A CRUSHED ANKLE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA09LA488Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportInverness, FLThe flight crew's encounter with convective turbulence. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the operator's dispatch department to provide the flightcrew with current adverse weather information along the planned route of flight. Also contributing…Aug 27, 2009 · No damage