# NTSB CEN10LA218: Saab-Scania Saab 340B, N437XJ, Bradley, IL, April 6, 2010 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 5, 2010, 19:30 local (Apr 6, 2010, 00:30 UTC) - Place: Bradley, IL - Coordinates: 41.146389, -87.859169 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1464&lon=-87.8592&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 30 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 28, 2011 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Minneapolis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 75830 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN10LA218 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/75830/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75830 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10LA218 ## Probable cause The flightcrew's encounter with convectively induced turbulence associated with a convective cloud during the flight. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032000): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 92 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: 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 The airplane entered a cumulus or convective cloud system and encountered moderate to severe turbulence as it approached its destination. The single flight attendant in the cabin hit her head on the cabin roof and then fell, fracturing her tail bone. The flight attendant was able to complete her duties and sought medical assistance after landing. ## Factual narrative On April 5, 2010, about 1930 central daylight time, a Saab 340B, N437XJ, operated by Mesaba Airlines, Inc., as Delta Connection Flight 3271, and piloted by an airline transport pilot, encountered turbulence while in cruise flight near Bradley, Illinois. The sole flight attendant received serious injuries when she fell during the turbulence encounter. There was no damage to the airplane and no injuries to the other crew or passengers on the flight. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 flight was operating in instrument meteorological conditions and was on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The airplane had departed from the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport at 1827 and was en route to the General Downing - Peoria International Airport when the event occurred. The airplane was approaching its destination airport and the flight crew was attempting to make course corrections to avoid entering cumulus clouds on the airplane's flight path. At this point, the seatbelt sign was illuminated and the passengers were seated with their seat belts fastened. As the flight crew deviated around clouds, a buildup of clouds was unavoidable and the airplane entered the clouds. As the airplane entered the clouds, a brief turbulence encounter was experienced. At this time the flight attendant had just completed collecting garbage after the beverage service and was preparing to sit in her seat. The flight attendant stated that she was raised up off of the floor and her head hit the cabin roof. She was thrown back down to the floor and landed on her buttocks. The flight attendant was able to complete her duties with pain, and sought medical attention after the flight. It was later determined that she suffered a broken tail bone. The severity of the turbulence encountered was described as moderate by the operator and severe by the flight attendant. ## Aircraft - Registration: N437XJ (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: SAAB-SCANIA SAAB 340B - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 340B437 - Engines: GE CT7-SER 1600 horsepower turbo prop; GE CT7-SER 1600 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Mesaba Aviation Inc, doing business as Delta Connection - Registered owner: Lambert Leasing Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: DTW, Detroit, MI - Destination: PIA, Peoria, IL - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 34; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review June 7, 2009; seat: left; flight hours: 7,800 total, 7,000 in this make and model, 53 in the last 90 days, 53 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 28; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review July 23, 2009; seat: right; flight hours: 1,320 in this make and model, 130 in the last 90 days, 54 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Dusk - Wind: 140° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 6,000 ft broken - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 59 °F - Altimeter: 29.78 inHg - Observed at: PIA, 90 nm away ## 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 20100405050349A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100405050349A), Apr 5, 2010: Saab-Scania SAAB 340B, Bradley, IL, No damage. About 90 miles out of pia the flight was level at 16,000 feet. The airplane flew through a weather build up and encountered short moderate turbulance while… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 1, 2011, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75830. 1.1 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40337344&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Flight Attendant Statement (item 2, .PDF, 15 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40337345&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Flight%20Attendant%20Statement-Redacted.PDF 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.