What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 28, 2010, at 1753 CST, American eagle airlines flight 3224 en route from greensboro, south carolina (kgso) to dallas/ fort worth international airport (kdfw) encountered severe turbulence approximately 20 miles east of Monroe, Louisiana (mlu) while in cruise flight under instrument conditions (IMC) at 36,000 feet. Flight crew statements indicate the autopilot disengaged, and the aircraft gained approximately 800 feet of altitude due to a "strong updraft", and was followed by an immediate and severe downdraft. The crew stated that the turbulence lasted approximately 10 seconds. Flight crew stated the fasten seat belt sign was "on" for about 10 minutes and passengers had been instructed to stay seated with seat belts fastened when a passenger entered the aircraft lavatory. The flight attendant walked to the lavatory to instruct the passenger to return to her seat. Reports indicate the aircraft encountered the severe turbulence at that time and caused the flight attendant to be thrown to the floor, and then against the ceiling and an overhead bin. The passenger in the lavatory suffered a broken leg, and damage to her lip from hitting the lavatory sink. Wsi radar from 2230Z to 2257Z depicts radar echoes about 20 miles east of mlu with tops exceeding 35,000 feet. The crew reported that aircraft radar did not depict a radar return until 15 to 20 seconds before the event.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 28, 2010, AT 1753 CST, AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES FLIGHT 3224 EN ROUTE FROM GREENSBORO, SOUTH CAROLINA (KGSO) TO DALLAS/ FORT WORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KDFW) ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES EAST OF MONROE, LOUISIANA (MLU) WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT UNDER INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS (IMC) AT 36,000 FEET. FLIGHT CREW STATEMENTS INDICATE THE AUTOPILOT DISENGAGED, AND THE AIRCRAFT GAINED APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET OF ALTITUDE DUE TO A "STRONG UPDRAFT", AND WAS FOLLOWED BY AN IMMEDIATE AND SEVERE DOWNDRAFT. THE CREW STATED THAT THE TURBULENCE LASTED APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS. FLIGHT CREW STATED THE FASTEN SEAT BELT SIGN WAS "ON" FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND PASSENGERS HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO STAY SEATED WITH SEAT BELTS FASTENED WHEN A PASSENGER ENTERED THE AIRCRAFT LAVATORY. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT WALKED TO THE LAVATORY TO INSTRUCT THE PASSENGER TO RETURN TO HER SEAT. REPORTS INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED THE SEVERE TURBULENCE AT THAT TIME AND CAUSED THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT TO BE THROWN TO THE FLOOR, AND THEN AGAINST THE CEILING AND AN OVERHEAD BIN. THE PASSENGER IN THE LAVATORY SUFFERED A BROKEN LEG, AND DAMAGE TO HER LIP FROM HITTING THE LAVATORY SINK. WSI RADAR FROM 2230Z TO 2257Z DEPICTS RADAR ECHOES ABOUT 20 MILES EAST OF MLU WITH TOPS EXCEEDING 35,000 FEET. THE CREW REPORTED THAT AIRCRAFT RADAR DID NOT DEPICT A RADAR RETURN UNTIL 15 TO 20 SECONDS BEFORE THE EVENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.