What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 16, 2011 colgan air flight 3261 was operating from ewr to dca. While enroute, the crew was talking to potomac approach, about 40 miles north of bwi, while descending between 14,000 and 13,000 MSL. The first officer had just switched to radio #2 and was talking to the flight attendants (fa's) (finding out if they had any special needs passengers and advising them that the flight was 20 minutes out from landing), and also calling dca operations about a gate assignment. The first officer had just begun briefing the passengers about the arrival time. The fa had just finished doing beverage service and had stowed the galled service carts. The fa's were in the aft galley getting a passenger a cup of coffee when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence. The turbulence caused fa privacy data omitted to be thrown throughout the galley. She grabbed the handle above the fa jumpseat to steady herself and then was thrust into the air and landed on the floor. She heard a "pop" from her foot which had turned inward causing her foot to break. Fa privacy data omitted was assisted to seat 19B and administered ice due to the swelling in her ankle. Fa privacy data omitted notified the flight crew of the occurrence and they called for paramedics to meet the flight in dca. Fa privacy data omitted was transported to the hospital for treatment where it was determined that she broke her right foot. The flight was very smooth prior to descending between 14,000 and 13,000 ft MSL. The unexpected turbulence was followed immediately by moderate and sustained turbulence. The flight was so smooth that the turbulence came unexpectedly and the crew had no time to prepare. The flight crew had not received any pireps, NOTAMS, or reports of forecasted turbulence.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 16, 2011 COLGAN AIR FLIGHT 3261 WAS OPERATING FROM EWR TO DCA. WHILE ENROUTE, THE CREW WAS TALKING TO POTOMAC APPROACH, ABOUT 40 MILES NORTH OF BWI, WHILE DESCENDING BETWEEN 14,000 AND 13,000 MSL. THE FIRST OFFICER HAD JUST SWITCHED TO RADIO #2 AND WAS TALKING TO THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS (FA'S) (FINDING OUT IF THEY HAD ANY SPECIAL NEEDS PASSENGERS AND ADVISING THEM THAT THE FLIGHT WAS 20 MINUTES OUT FROM LANDING), AND ALSO CALLING DCA OPERATIONS ABOUT A GATE ASSIGNMENT. THE FIRST OFFICER HAD JUST BEGUN BRIEFING THE PASSENGERS ABOUT THE ARRIVAL TIME. THE FA HAD JUST FINISHED DOING BEVERAGE SERVICE AND HAD STOWED THE GALLED SERVICE CARTS. THE FA'S WERE IN THE AFT GALLEY GETTING A PASSENGER A CUP OF COFFEE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE. THE TURBULENCE CAUSED FA ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO BE THROWN THROUGHOUT THE GALLEY. SHE GRABBED THE HANDLE ABOVE THE FA JUMPSEAT TO STEADY HERSELF AND THEN WAS THRUST INTO THE AIR AND LANDED ON THE FLOOR. SHE HEARD A "POP" FROM HER FOOT WHICH HAD TURNED INWARD CAUSING HER FOOT TO BREAK. FA ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ASSISTED TO SEAT 19B AND ADMINISTERED ICE DUE TO THE SWELLING IN HER ANKLE. FA ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NOTIFIED THE FLIGHT CREW OF THE OCCURRENCE AND THEY CALLED FOR PARAMEDICS TO MEET THE FLIGHT IN DCA. FA ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT SHE BROKE HER RIGHT FOOT.THE FLIGHT WAS VERY SMOOTH PRIOR TO DESCENDING BETWEEN 14,000 AND 13,000 FT MSL. THE UNEXPECTED TURBULENCE WAS FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY MODERATE AND SUSTAINED TURBULENCE. THE FLIGHT WAS SO SMOOTH THAT THE TURBULENCE CAME UNEXPECTEDLY AND THE CREW HAD NO TIME TO PREPARE. THE FLIGHT CREW HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY PIREPS, NOTAMS, OR REPORTS OF FORECASTED 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.