# Accident 20181201023829A: Airbus A320-232, Las Vegas, NV, December 1, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 1, 2018, 18:07 local time
- Place: Las Vegas, NV
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: GTIA
- Location: 36.0839° N, 115.1536° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0839&lon=-115.1536&mi=10
- Aircraft: N632NK, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N632NK-2026-01-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Airbus A320-232 (registry code 3940004, https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-a320-232) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: IAE V2527-A5 (registry code 34604, https://openairdocs.org/engine/iae-v2527-a5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIRBUS A320-232
- Reported engine: IAE V2527-A5
- People aboard: 163
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 8,350 total, 6,580 in this make and model, 160 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DCA19CA037](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA19CA037) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181201023829A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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...

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DCA19CA037](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA19CA037), Dec 1, 2018: Airbus A320 (N632NK), LAS Vegas, NV, no damage. Probable cause: The airplane’s encounter with severe turbulence.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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