# NTSB CEN11LA250: Embraer EMB-145LR, N931AE, Kansas City, MO, March 26, 2011 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 26, 2011, 07:29 local (12:29 UTC) - Place: Kansas City, MO - Coordinates: 37.912498, -93.590278 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.9125&lon=-93.5903&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-climb to cruise: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 51 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 20, 2012 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 78703 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN11LA250 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/78703/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=78703 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11LA250 ## Probable cause An in-flight encounter with convectively induced turbulence associated with developing thunderstorms under the flight path during the airplane's climb to cruise 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: [Embraer EMB-145LR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032000/cases.md?model=3260212), [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-climb to cruise: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) (defining event); cases with it: [Embraer EMB-145LR, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=3260212), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md) ## Analysis During climb to cruise flight, the flight attendant was returning to her jumpseat when the airplane encountered convectively induced turbulence associated with developing thunderstorms under the flight path. The flight attendant lost her footing and hit her head on the service galley door. While trying to find something to grab, the flight attendant fell again and injured her wrist and knee. She advised the flight crew that she would be unable to complete her duties and the flight was diverted to seek medical attention for the flight attendant. The operator subsequently confirmed that the flight attendant was seriously injured when her wrist and hand sustained fractures. The flight’s flight data recorder data showed that an upset event occurred during climb; the vertical acceleration ranged from 1.54g to 0.60g in a 1-second period. ## Factual narrative On March 26, 2011, about 0729 central daylight time, an Embraer EMB-145LR, N931AE, operated by American Eagle Airlines as flight 4355, sustained no damage when it encountered turbulence while in a climb north of Kansas City, Missouri, while en-route to the Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, Illinois. The 2 pilots and 49 passengers were uninjured. The flight attendant sustained a serious injury and the flight diverted to the Kansas City International Airport (MCI), near Kansas City, Missouri. The scheduled domestic passenger flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an activated instrument flight rules flight plan was on file. The flight originated about 0705, from the Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The operator reported that the flight attendant had finished her cabin service and was returning to her jumpseat when the airplane encountered convectively induced turbulence associated with a developing thunderstorm under the flight path while climbing through flight level (FL) 320. The flight attendant lost her footing and hit her head on the service galley door. While trying to find something to grab the flight attendant fell again and injured her wrist and knee. Immediately the flight attendant noticed her hand swelling up. She contacted the flight crew, informed them of what had happened, and stated to the crew that she would be unable to complete her duties. The flight crew elected to divert to MCI so the flight attendant could seek immediate medical attention. The flight attendant was met by paramedics and taken to the hospital. The operator subsequently confirmed that the flight attendant was seriously injured when her wrist and hand sustained fractures. The airplane’s flight data recorder data was reviewed. The data showed that the upset event occurred during the climb approximately 07:29:35. The data showed the vertical acceleration ranged from 1.54g to 0.60g in a 1-second period and that the airplane was climbing through FL 299. Review of the flight's dispatch records indicated scattered to broken areas of thunderstorms extending from eastern Oklahoma to western Arkansas with tops to 42,000 feet above sea level and it advised of possible convection over eastern Oklahoma. The dispatch paperwork did not include the latest convective significant meteorological information (SIGMET) 22C for an area of severe thunderstorms, which existed in the immediate vicinity of the upset location. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N931AE](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N931AE), registered now, S/N 14500912, built 2005 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: EMBRAER EMB-145LR - Registry model: [Embraer EMB-145LR](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-emb-145lr) (registry code 3260212) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rolls-Royce AE3007 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-ae3007-series) (registry code 54582, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 14500912 - Engines: ROLLS-ROYC AE3007 SER 7200 horsepower turbo fan; ROLLS-ROYC AE3007 SER 7200 horsepower turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: American Eagle Airlines Inc - Registered owner: American Eagle Airlines Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: OKC, Oklahoma City, OK - Destination: ORD, Chicago, IL - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: MCI, Kansas City IAP ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 31; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review January 12, 2011; seat: left; flight hours: 6,788 total, 394 as pilot in command - Co-pilot; age 27; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review August 12, 2010; seat: right; flight hours: 2,936 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 70° at 14 knots - Visibility: 9 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,500 ft overcast - Temperature: 36 °F, dew point 30 °F - Altimeter: 29.87 inHg - Observed at: MCI, 98 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 20110326005879A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110326005879A), Mar 26, 2011: Embraer EMB-145LR, Mcpherson, KS, No damage. During climb, at approximately 32,000 feet MSL, in clear air, the aircraft hit a very small bump (light chop). It lasted a second or less. Later, the flight… ## Docket (7 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 8, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=78703. 7.6 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 4.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40360471&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Flight Data Recorder 10 - Factual Report of Group Chairman (item 2, .PDF, 686 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40347111&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Factual%20Report%20of%20Group%20Chairman-Master.PDF - Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 1 - Tabular Data - (CSV Format) (item 3, .CSV, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40347112&FileExtension=.csv&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Attachment%201%20-%20Tabular%20Data%20-%20(CSV%20Format)-Master.csv - Miscellaneous - Operator Confirmation of FA Serious Injury (item 4, .PDF, 250 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40360473&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%20-%20Operator%20Confirmation%20of%20FA%20Serious%20Injury-Redacted.PDF - Miscellaneous - Flight Dispatch Excerpt (item 5, .PDF, 35 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40360788&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%20-%20Flight%20Dispatch%20Excerpt-Master.PDF - Miscellaneous - Memo of Communication (item 6, .PDF, 22 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40363181&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%20-%20Memo%20of%20Communication-Master.PDF - Miscellaneous - SIGMET Excerpt (item 7, .PDF, 68 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40363197&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%20-%20SIGMET%20Excerpt-Master.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.