- Date
- August 22, 2014, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hemphill, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 52 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N421YXEmbraer S A ERJ170-200LR
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Aircraft wake turb encounter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Indianapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140822015859A
- Case key
- 89956
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The airplane's inadvertent encounter with wake turbulence during cruise flight, which resulted in a serious injury to a flight attendant.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
While cruising in smooth air conditions with no clouds in the area and with the autopilot on and the seat belt sign off the airplane had a brief encounter with what the flight crew described as wake turbulence. The momentary turbulence resulted in a sharp roll deviation of about 15 to 20 degrees. The turbulence lasted for less than five seconds then returned to smooth air conditions. One of the two flight attendants who had been standing in the rear galley was seriously injured and the other flight attendant sustained a minor injury. No significant turbulence had been forecast, and the flight crew had not overheard any airplanes in the area reporting turbulence. Immediately after the encounter, the airplane continued in smooth air conditions.
Factual narrative
While cruising in smooth air conditions with no clouds in the area and with the autopilot on and the seat belt sign off the airplane had a brief encounter with what the flight crew described as wake turbulence. The momentary turbulence resulted in a sharp roll deviation of about 15 to 20 degrees. The turbulence lasted for less than five seconds then returned to smooth air conditions. One of the two flight attendants who had been standing in the rear galley was seriously injured and the other flight attendant sustained a minor injury. No significant turbulence had been forecast, and the flight crew had not overheard any airplanes in the area reporting turbulence. Immediately after the encounter, the airplane continued in smooth air conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N421YX
- Reported as
- Embraer S A ERJ170-200LR (200LR)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17000386
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 1,581
- Engines
- General Electric CF-34/8E5, 14,510 lbs thrust, turbo fanGeneral Electric CF-34/8E5, 14,510 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Republic Airlines Inc, doing business as Republic Airlines
- Registered owner
- Republic Airline Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 17, 2014
- Departed
- ORD · Chicago, IL
- Destination
- IAH · Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Data recorder, Electronic multifunction display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 24, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 68 in this make and model · 68 in the last 90 days · 68 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 19, 2014
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,030 total · 4,002 in this make and model · 798 as pilot in command · 224 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 28, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.