# NTSB ATL03LA051: Aerospatiale ATR-72-212, N642AS, Atlanta, GA, March 1, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 1, 2003, 06:30 local (11:30 UTC) - Place: Atlanta, GA - Coordinates: 33.640277, -84.42694 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6403&lon=-84.4269&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 15 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 28, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Atlanta FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 56578 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL03LA051 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56578/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL03LA051 ## Probable cause The flight's encounter with severe turbulence that resulted in serious injury to a flight attendant. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, cruise - weather condition - turbulence,clear air (cause) ## Analysis According to the captain, during cruise flight at 17,000 feet the airplane encountered turbulence. The area of turbulence was not forcasted. During the encounter the seat belt sign was illuminated. The cabin attendants informed the captain the passengers were uninjured and a flight attendant had received minor injuries. After landing the paramedics boarded the airplane, and examined the attendants.The flight attendant was transported to the emergency room where it was determined that one fight attendant had a broken femur. ## Factual narrative On March 1, 2003, at 0630 eastern standard time, an Aerospatiale ATR-72-212, N642AS, registered to and operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines as Flight 4268, encountered turbulence during cruise flight. Flight 4268 was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 121, as a scheduled, domestic passenger flight from Valparaiso, Florida, to William B Hartsfield Atlanta International, Atlanta, Georgia. The flight operated under instrument flight rules with a flight plan filed. The airline transport-rated pilot in command, airline transport-rated first officer, and 12 revenue passengers on board were not injured. One cabin attendant received serious injuries, and the other cabin attendant received minor injuries. The flight continued to Atlanta, Georgia, without further incident. The flight departed Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, at 0450 central daylight time on March 1, 2003. According to the captain, during cruise flight at 17,000 feet the airplane encountered a jolt of severe turbulence. The autopilot disconnected and there was a 300-foot loss in altitude. According to the flight attendants, during the turbulence encounter they were pinned to the ceiling and dropped to the floor. The captain called to check on the flight attendants status. The flight attendants informed the captain the passengers were uninjured and they had received minor injuries. At the time of the turbulence encounter the seat belt sign was illuminated. The captain radioed for paramedic support after landing. After landing the paramedics boarded the airplane, examined the attendants, and advised them to go to the emergency room for further evaluation. At the emergency room it was determined that one fight attendant had a broken femur in the left ankle and the other was not injured. The nearest weather reporting facility at the time of the accident was Atlanta International, Georgia. The 0553 surface weather observation was: 400 overcast, visibility 6 statue miles, temperature 7 degrees Celsius, dew point 6 degrees Celsius, wind 70-degrees at 11 knots, and altimeter 30.06 inches. According to the operator, the flight crew received a weather briefing before the flight departed, however there was no weather warning given for severe turbulence. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N642AS](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N642AS-2009-10-05), registration cancelled 2009-10-05, S/N 395, built 1994 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Aerospatiale ATR-72-212 - Registry model: [Aerospatiale/Alenia ATR-72-212](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-alenia-atr-72-212) (registry code 8680946) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney 127](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-127) (registry code 52132, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 395 - Airframe hours: 19588 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney PW127 2750 horsepower turbo prop; Pratt & Whitney PW127 2750 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: Atlantic Southeast Airlines Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, February 25, 2003, 72 hours before - Departed: VPS, VALPARAISO, FL - Destination: ATL, ATLANTA, GA - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: ATL, The William B Hartsfield Atlan ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 41; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 5,641 total, 4,076 in this make and model, 3,845 as pilot in command, 222 in the last 90 days, 82 in the last 30 days - Co-pilot; age 35; injuries: none; military, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night/dark - Wind: 70° at 11 knots - Visibility: 6 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 400 ft overcast - Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 30.05 inHg - Observed at: ATL ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030301034319A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030301034319A), Mar 1, 2003: Aerosp ATR72212, Crestview, FL. (-23) On March 1, 2003, at 0630 eastern standard time, an aerospatiale ATR-72-212, N642AS, registered to and operated by atlantic southeast airlines as flight… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.