# NTSB CEN14CA455: Embraer S A ERJ170-200LR, N421YX, Hemphill, TX, August 22, 2014 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: August 22, 2014, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC) - Place: Hemphill, TX - Coordinates: 31.229166, -93.634445 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.2292&lon=-93.6344&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Aircraft wake turb encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/361) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor, 52 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 5, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Indianapolis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 89956 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN14CA455 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/89956/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89956 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14CA455 ## Probable cause The airplane's inadvertent encounter with wake turbulence during cruise flight, which resulted in a serious injury to a flight attendant. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Turbulence: wake turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032025): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032025/cases.md?model=3260415), [All aircraft, 47 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032025/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Aircraft wake turb encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/361) (defining event); cases with it: [Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/361/sequence.md?model=3260415), [All aircraft, 37 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/361/sequence.md) ## 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](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N421YX), registered now, S/N 17000386, built 2014 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: EMBRAER S A ERJ170-200LR (200LR) - Registry model: [Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-s-a-erj-170-200-lr) (registry code 3260415) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [GE CF34-8E5](https://openairdocs.org/engine/ge-cf34-8e5) (registry code 30061, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17000386 - Year built: 2014 - Airframe hours: 1581 - Engines: General Electric CF-34/8E5 14510 lbs thrust turbo fan; General Electric CF-34/8E5 14510 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 ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 43; injuries: none; 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 - Pilot; age 31; injuries: none; 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 ## 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 20140822015859A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140822015859A), Aug 22, 2014: Embraer S A ERJ170-200LR, Houston, TX, No damage. On August 22, 2014, at approximately 1700 central daylight savings time (CDT), republic airlines flight 4344, an Embraer 170-200, encountered wake turbulence… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 28, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89956. 2.2 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40419580&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-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.