# NTSB CEN09LA106: Embraer ERJ 170-10, N871RW, Kansas City, MO, December 27, 2008 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 26, 2008, 23:40 local (Dec 27, 2008, 05:40 UTC) - Place: Kansas City, MO - Coordinates: 39.270805, -94.729667 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2708&lon=-94.7297&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 76 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 25, 2009 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 73148 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN09LA106 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73148/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09LA106 ## Probable cause An in-flight encounter with turbulence, which resulted in a serious injury to a flight attendant. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Turbulence: convective turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 145 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md) ## Analysis While descending into the destination airfield, the crew deviated course to avoid thunderstorms as turbulence was expected. The flight crew warned the flight attendants and passengers of anticipated turbulence. The captain reported that the airplane then experienced "light chop with areas of moderate to sever[e] turbulence." During the encounter, a flight attendant who was in the aft galley securing a beverage cart fell on her left side and fractured her ankle. ## Factual narrative On December 26, 2008 at approximately 2340 central standard time, an Embraer 170-10 encountered severe turbulence while en route to Kansas City International Airport (MCI), Kansas City, Missouri. 1 flight attendant sustained a serious injury. The 2 pilots, 1 additional flight attendant, and 73 passengers were not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by Republic Airlines. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 flight. According to a statement provided by the captain, while performing the en route descent into MCI, the crew was warned by Air Traffic Control of convective activity near the landing airport. The pilots were given permission to deviate as necessary to avoid the weather. The captain stated that after utilizing the airplane's weather radar, a course was selected which would avoid the thunderstorms, but the captain anticipated turbulence. The first officer communicated the warning to the flight attendants as well as the passengers. While avoiding the thunderstorms, the captain reported that the flight encountered "light chop with areas of moderate to sever[e] turbulence." In a statement provided by the injured flight attendant, after receiving the warning from the first officer, the flight attendant transported the beverage cart to the aft galley. The flight attendant reported that while securing the beverage cart in the aft galley, the airplane encountered a "violent surge of turbulence" which resulted in the flight attendant being thrown upwards and landed on the left side of her body, fracturing her ankle. A medical examination later determined that she had fractured her ankle. At 2353, an automated weather reporting facility at MCI reported winds from 190 degrees at 15 knots, visibility 9 statute miles, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, temperature 63 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 59 degrees Fahrenheit, and a barometric pressure of 29.62 inches of Mercury. In addition, there were remarks that thunderstorm conditions ended at 2348, and occasional lightning was present in-cloud and cloud to cloud south-west of the station. Thunderstorms were present to the southwest of the station and were moving northeast. ## Aircraft - Registration: N871RW (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: EMBRAER ERJ 170-10 - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17000140 - Engines: GE CF34-8E5 14510 horsepower turbo fan; General Electrics CF34-8E5 14510 horsepower turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Republic Airline Inc, doing business as Republic Airlines - Registered owner: Republic Airline Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: LGA, New York, NY - Destination: MCI, Kansas City, MO - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: KMCI, Kansas City International ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 26; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review February 25, 2008; seat: left; flight hours: 3,749 total, 101 in this make and model, 2,049 as pilot in command, 230 in the last 90 days, 99 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 27; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review November 22, 2008; seat: right; flight hours: 2,700 total, 101 in this make and model, 507 as pilot in command, 101 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Not reported - Wind: 190° at 15 knots - Visibility: 9 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 59 °F - Altimeter: 29.62 inHg - Observed at: MCI ## 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 20081226857259A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20081226857259A), Dec 26, 2008: Emb ERJ170100SU, Kansas City, MO, No damage. (-23) During the enroute descent into Kansas City International Airport (mci) on a commercial flight conducted under 14 CFR 121 under instrument flight rules,… 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.