What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Flight crew was aware during preflight of possible turbulence for route of flight in southern Colorado and northern new Mexico. The aircraft weather radar was adjusted to detect weather returns during cruise flight at FL370. The flight was mostly smooth until over Missouri. With the captain taking a lavatory break and the first officer flying, the aircraft encountered "severe" turbulence for approximately thirty seconds. The aft flight attendant was seated in her jumpseat prior to turbulence onset, but was unable to secure her restraints when it began. She was thrown to the floor, and then "bounced" off of the ceiling and the floor twice during the event. She was subsequently determined to have sustained a compression fracture of her L-1 vertebrae.
As the FAA filed it
FLIGHT CREW WAS AWARE DURING PREFLIGHT OF POSSIBLE TURBULENCE FOR ROUTE OF FLIGHT IN SOUTHERN COLORADO AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. THE AIRCRAFT WEATHER RADAR WAS ADJUSTED TO DETECT WEATHER RETURNS DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT FL370. THE FLIGHT WAS MOSTLY SMOOTH UNTIL OVER MISSOURI. WITH THE CAPTAIN TAKING A LAVATORY BREAK AND THE FIRST OFFICER FLYING, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED "SEVERE" TURBULENCE FOR APPROXIMATELY THIRTY SECONDS. THE AFT FLIGHT ATTENDANT WAS SEATED IN HER JUMPSEAT PRIOR TO TURBULENCE ONSET, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SECURE HER RESTRAINTS WHEN IT BEGAN. SHE WAS THROWN TO THE FLOOR, AND THEN "BOUNCED" OFF OF THE CEILING AND THE FLOOR TWICE DURING THE EVENT. SHE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DETERMINED TO HAVE SUSTAINED A COMPRESSION FRACTURE OF HER L-1 VERTEBRAE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N801UA · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.