What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Prior to descent into las, we were hearing radio chatter about the rough rides on the arrival. I asked the first officer to give the initial address to the passengers early (roughly 150 miles out) and also to advise the lead to have the fa take their seats. He made the pa and then use the inter phone to talk to the lead directly.
The ride was as advertised- continuous light, occasional moderate chop. We appeared to be passing through layers of stratiform clouds, no precipitation was visible on the radar. At roughly 23,000 feet we experienced a much larger than normal jolt of turbulence. It only lasted less than a second, but was quite abrupt. Shortly thereafter the lead fa called us and advised that our c fa had fallen, and thought she broke her ankle.
The fo called ahead to the station to request EMS meet us at the gate, while I continued the approach. Once at the gate we asked the passengers to remain seated while EMS used an aisle chair to get ms xxxx into the jetway for treatment. After deplaning, our d fa, xxxxxxx rode with xxxx to the hospital and stayed throughout treatment, even texting me an update late that night.
I phoned the cp to brief him. He advised I call the dsc, which I did to brief occ on the event and pass along a report of the turbulence to the inbound crews. The airplane had generated a load 15 report which I noted in the logbook, and backed up with a call to moc. Lastly, the local tower had heard about an injured crew member from EMS and requested I contact them even as we were taxiing in. I contacted them and answered a few questions about the nature and location of the jolt, and my name, etc...
As the FAA filed it
PRIOR TO DESCENT INTO LAS, WE WERE HEARING RADIO CHATTER ABOUT THE ROUGH RIDES ON THE ARRIVAL. I ASKED THE FIRST OFFICER TO GIVE THE INITIAL ADDRESS TO THE PASSENGERS EARLY (ROUGHLY 150 MILES OUT) AND ALSO TO ADVISE THE LEAD TO HAVE THE FA TAKE THEIR SEATS. HE MADE THE PA AND THEN USE THE INTER PHONE TO TALK TO THE LEAD DIRECTLY.
THE RIDE WAS AS ADVERTISED- CONTINUOUS LIGHT, OCCASIONAL MODERATE CHOP. WE APPEARED TO BE PASSING THROUGH LAYERS OF STRATIFORM CLOUDS, NO PRECIPITATION WAS VISIBLE ON THE RADAR. AT ROUGHLY 23,000 FEET WE EXPERIENCED A MUCH LARGER THAN NORMAL JOLT OF TURBULENCE. IT ONLY LASTED LESS THAN A SECOND, BUT WAS QUITE ABRUPT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE LEAD FA CALLED US AND ADVISED THAT OUR C FA HAD FALLEN, AND THOUGHT SHE BROKE HER ANKLE.
THE FO CALLED AHEAD TO THE STATION TO REQUEST EMS MEET US AT THE GATE, WHILE I CONTINUED THE APPROACH. ONCE AT THE GATE WE ASKED THE PASSENGERS TO REMAIN SEATED WHILE EMS USED AN AISLE CHAIR TO GET MS XXXX INTO THE JETWAY FOR TREATMENT. AFTER DEPLANING, OUR D FA, XXXXXXX RODE WITH XXXX TO THE HOSPITAL AND STAYED THROUGHOUT TREATMENT, EVEN TEXTING ME AN UPDATE LATE THAT NIGHT.
I PHONED THE CP TO BRIEF HIM. HE ADVISED I CALL THE DSC, WHICH I DID TO BRIEF OCC ON THE EVENT AND PASS ALONG A REPORT OF THE TURBULENCE TO THE INBOUND CREWS. THE AIRPLANE HAD GENERATED A LOAD 15 REPORT WHICH I NOTED IN THE LOGBOOK, AND BACKED UP WITH A CALL TO MOC. LASTLY, THE LOCAL TOWER HAD HEARD ABOUT AN INJURED CREW MEMBER FROM EMS AND REQUESTED I CONTACT THEM EVEN AS WE WERE TAXIING IN. I CONTACTED THEM AND ANSWERED A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE JOLT, AND MY NAME, ETC...
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.