What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
privacy data omitted, A320 departed guayaquil, ecuador (segu) to ft. lauderdale international (kfll) on September 25, 2023, at approximately 0500Z. During the flight, the aircraft encountered turbulence that resulted in injuries to a passenger and a flight crewmember.
The dispatch flight release noted the presence of convective activity for a portion of the flight. However, there was no direct briefing between the flight crew and dispatcher.
A standard preflight briefing was provided to the inflight crew, but no mention of possible convective activity enroute was made.
At 0736Z, while entering kingston airspace outside of artcc-provided weather radar coverage, they encountered an undetected storm cell. The severe turbulence they experienced caused multiple minor injuries and two serious injuries. A passenger standing in the aisle fell on a seated passenger, breaking her leg, and ifc 4 in the rear of the plane suffered a concussion. As of November 15, 2023, the flight attendant had not returned to active flight duty.
Prior to the event, the flight encountered little or no turbulence, visibility was limited as they flew in and out of clouds, but lighting from numerous storm cells adjacent to their route could be visually observed while the aircraft weather radar was clearly depicting them, but nothing visible directly on their path. At this time the inflight crew was preparing food service with the seat belt sign on.
When the flight encountered the storm cell, not visible on the weather radar, the flight encountered heavy clouds, turbulence, moisture, and visible st elmo’s fire on the windshield.
A SIGMET, which covered most of the kingston fir airspace, was released just nine minutes after they encountered the storm cell and just as they approached the sigmet’s border. For unknown reasons this SIGMET was not reported to the flight crew and dispatcher, consequently they transited the area unknowingly. While the reason this SIGMET was unreported needs investigation, it is not considered causal, as this accident occurred before the SIGMET was published.
After arriving in kfll, the flight crew entered comments into the aircraft logbook that the radar was inoperative. This was based upon the radar not depicting rain activity from the turbulence event.
Both the flight crew and dispatcher submitted separate asap reports that were accepted. The dispatch asap event review committee is actively investigating why the SIGMET was not delivered to the flight crew and dispatcher. The newly instituted flightkeys dispatching system is of prime interest.
A review of FAA order 8020.11, paragraph 7-10A, that list nine specific responsibilities in all accident investigations conducted by the FAA, has determined that none of these nine items were factors in the accident.
As the FAA filed it
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A320 DEPARTED GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR (SEGU) TO FT. LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL (KFLL) ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 0500Z. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE THAT RESULTED IN INJURIES TO A PASSENGER AND A FLIGHT CREWMEMBER.
THE DISPATCH FLIGHT RELEASE NOTED THE PRESENCE OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY FOR A PORTION OF THE FLIGHT. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO DIRECT BRIEFING BETWEEN THE FLIGHT CREW AND DISPATCHER.
A STANDARD PREFLIGHT BRIEFING WAS PROVIDED TO THE INFLIGHT CREW, BUT NO MENTION OF POSSIBLE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ENROUTE WAS MADE.
AT 0736Z, WHILE ENTERING KINGSTON AIRSPACE OUTSIDE OF ARTCC-PROVIDED WEATHER RADAR COVERAGE, THEY ENCOUNTERED AN UNDETECTED STORM CELL. THE SEVERE TURBULENCE THEY EXPERIENCED CAUSED MULTIPLE MINOR INJURIES AND TWO SERIOUS INJURIES. A PASSENGER STANDING IN THE AISLE FELL ON A SEATED PASSENGER, BREAKING HER LEG, AND IFC 4 IN THE REAR OF THE PLANE SUFFERED A CONCUSSION. AS OF NOVEMBER 15, 2023, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT HAD NOT RETURNED TO ACTIVE FLIGHT DUTY.
PRIOR TO THE EVENT, THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED LITTLE OR NO TURBULENCE, VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED AS THEY FLEW IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS, BUT LIGHTING FROM NUMEROUS STORM CELLS ADJACENT TO THEIR ROUTE COULD BE VISUALLY OBSERVED WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WEATHER RADAR WAS CLEARLY DEPICTING THEM, BUT NOTHING VISIBLE DIRECTLY ON THEIR PATH. AT THIS TIME THE INFLIGHT CREW WAS PREPARING FOOD SERVICE WITH THE SEAT BELT SIGN ON.
WHEN THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED THE STORM CELL, NOT VISIBLE ON THE WEATHER RADAR, THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED HEAVY CLOUDS, TURBULENCE, MOISTURE, AND VISIBLE ST ELMO’S FIRE ON THE WINDSHIELD.
A SIGMET, WHICH COVERED MOST OF THE KINGSTON FIR AIRSPACE, WAS RELEASED JUST NINE MINUTES AFTER THEY ENCOUNTERED THE STORM CELL AND JUST AS THEY APPROACHED THE SIGMET’S BORDER. FOR UNKNOWN REASONS THIS SIGMET WAS NOT REPORTED TO THE FLIGHT CREW AND DISPATCHER, CONSEQUENTLY THEY TRANSITED THE AREA UNKNOWINGLY. WHILE THE REASON THIS SIGMET WAS UNREPORTED NEEDS INVESTIGATION, IT IS NOT CONSIDERED CAUSAL, AS THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED BEFORE THE SIGMET WAS PUBLISHED.
AFTER ARRIVING IN KFLL, THE FLIGHT CREW ENTERED COMMENTS INTO THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOK THAT THE RADAR WAS INOPERATIVE. THIS WAS BASED UPON THE RADAR NOT DEPICTING RAIN ACTIVITY FROM THE TURBULENCE EVENT.
BOTH THE FLIGHT CREW AND DISPATCHER SUBMITTED SEPARATE ASAP REPORTS THAT WERE ACCEPTED. THE DISPATCH ASAP EVENT REVIEW COMMITTEE IS ACTIVELY INVESTIGATING WHY THE SIGMET WAS NOT DELIVERED TO THE FLIGHT CREW AND DISPATCHER. THE NEWLY INSTITUTED FLIGHTKEYS DISPATCHING SYSTEM IS OF PRIME INTEREST.
A REVIEW OF FAA ORDER 8020.11, PARAGRAPH 7-10A, THAT LIST NINE SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES IN ALL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED BY THE FAA, HAS DETERMINED THAT NONE OF THESE NINE ITEMS WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.
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 N569JB · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.