What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 28, 2025, at 1927 hours local (0027Z 08/29/2025), an ERJ-170-200LL, operated by privacy data omitted airlines, was on a regularly scheduled flight from aspen, Colorado (ase) to Houston Intercontinental Airport (iah), Texas when a turbulence event occurred in an area of known convective and extreme weather conditions. The flight was being conducted under the 14 CFR part 121 of the federal aviation regulations. The aircraft was in cruise flight at an altitude of 39,000 feet (FL390) approximately 30 miles west of dallas-ft. worth airport (dfw) when it experienced severe turbulence that resulted in a loss of approximately 4100 feet of ALTITUDE1.
Additionally, the privacy data omitted flight experienced an auto pressurization failure caution indication followed shortly thereafter by a warning on the flight deck that indicated a high cabin altitude (depressurization). The pilots initiated an emergency descent and diverted the flight into austin-bergstrom international airport (aus), Texas. The privacy data omitted flight landed in aus without further incident.
After landing, maintenance technicians did not discover any malfunctions with the pressurization system of the aircraft.
There were two pilots, two flight attendants and 39 passengers for a total of 43 individuals on the aircraft. There were two known serious injuries, one complaint of chest pain and some reports of unknown minor injuries that at the time of this report cannot be confirmed. Both flight attendants reported injuries.
The two severely injured passengers were transported to a hospital. The most severely injured passenger was reported to require a six day stay in the hospital because of multiple serious injuries. The other passenger had a broken rib. The passenger with chest pains was examined by EMS personnel and was reportedly released at the airport. The forward flight attendant reported a concussion, whiplash, arm and back strain. The aft flight attendant reported whiplash symptoms.
Due to the serious injuries sustained in this incident it has been classified as an aircraft accident per title 49 part 830 of the code of federal regulations. The NTSB has assigned an investigator to this accident. The FAA assigned an investigator from AVP-100. The NTSB case number is DCA25LA307.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 28, 2025, AT 1927 HOURS LOCAL (0027Z 08/29/2025), AN ERJ-170-200LL, OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRLINES, WAS ON A REGULARLY SCHEDULED FLIGHT FROM ASPEN, COLORADO (ASE) TO HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT (IAH), TEXAS WHEN A TURBULENCE EVENT OCCURRED IN AN AREA OF KNOWN CONVECTIVE AND EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE 14 CFR PART 121 OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT AN ALTITUDE OF 39,000 FEET (FL390) APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES WEST OF DALLAS-FT. WORTH AIRPORT (DFW) WHEN IT EXPERIENCED SEVERE TURBULENCE THAT RESULTED IN A LOSS OF APPROXIMATELY 4100 FEET OF ALTITUDE1.
ADDITIONALLY, THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLIGHT EXPERIENCED AN AUTO PRESSURIZATION FAILURE CAUTION INDICATION FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY A WARNING ON THE FLIGHT DECK THAT INDICATED A HIGH CABIN ALTITUDE (DEPRESSURIZATION). THE PILOTS INITIATED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT AND DIVERTED THE FLIGHT INTO AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (AUS), TEXAS. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLIGHT LANDED IN AUS WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
AFTER LANDING, MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS DID NOT DISCOVER ANY MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THERE WERE TWO PILOTS, TWO FLIGHT ATTENDANTS AND 39 PASSENGERS FOR A TOTAL OF 43 INDIVIDUALS ON THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE TWO KNOWN SERIOUS INJURIES, ONE COMPLAINT OF CHEST PAIN AND SOME REPORTS OF UNKNOWN MINOR INJURIES THAT AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT CANNOT BE CONFIRMED. BOTH FLIGHT ATTENDANTS REPORTED INJURIES.
THE TWO SEVERELY INJURED PASSENGERS WERE TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL. THE MOST SEVERELY INJURED PASSENGER WAS REPORTED TO REQUIRE A SIX DAY STAY IN THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE SERIOUS INJURIES. THE OTHER PASSENGER HAD A BROKEN RIB. THE PASSENGER WITH CHEST PAINS WAS EXAMINED BY EMS PERSONNEL AND WAS REPORTEDLY RELEASED AT THE AIRPORT. THE FORWARD FLIGHT ATTENDANT REPORTED A CONCUSSION, WHIPLASH, ARM AND BACK STRAIN. THE AFT FLIGHT ATTENDANT REPORTED WHIPLASH SYMPTOMS.
DUE TO THE SERIOUS INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THIS INCIDENT IT HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT PER TITLE 49 PART 830 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS. THE NTSB HAS ASSIGNED AN INVESTIGATOR TO THIS ACCIDENT. THE FAA ASSIGNED AN INVESTIGATOR FROM AVP-100. THE NTSB CASE NUMBER IS DCA25LA307.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.