- Date
- August 4, 2009, 17:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Louisville, KY
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 25 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8543FBombardier CL-600-2B19
- Defining event
- Enroute-change of cruise level: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 23, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- FAA report
- 20090804053959A
- Case key
- 74453
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
an inadvertent encounter with convective turbulence.
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
On August 4, 2009, at about 1715 CDT, Pinnacle Airlines flight 2871, a Bombardier CL 600-2B19, N8543F, from McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), Knoxville, Tennessee to Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), Detroit, Michigan, encounter severe turbulence during cruise at FL300. Of the 50 passengers and 3 crew members onboard, one flight attendant (FA) received serious injuries and one passenger received minor injuries. According to the flight crew, the flight was going in and out of clouds and was using the weather radar and visual observations to detect cloud formations and precipitation. The turbulence lasted about 10 seconds after entering a cloud formation. There was no radar indications of thunderstorms or precipitation when the turbulence was encountered. No PIREPS had been reported for the area. The FA was unable to continue her duties and directed a passenger on how to use the intercom to communicate with the flight crew. The captain declared a medical emergency and the flight diverted into Louisville International Airport (SDF), Louisville, Kentucky. Emergency services personnel met the airplane at the gate and the passenger and flight attendant were transported to a local hospital. The passenger was released with minor injuries but the flight attendant was diagnosed with a fractured vertebrae.
Factual narrative
On August 4, 2009, at about 1715 CDT, Pinnacle Airlines flight 2871, a Bombardier CL 600-2B19, N8543F, from McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), Knoxville, Tennessee to Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), Detroit, Michigan, encounter severe turbulence during cruise at FL300. Of the 50 passengers and 3 crew members onboard, one flight attendant (FA) received serious injuries and one passenger received minor injuries. According to the flight crew, the flight was going in and out of clouds and was using the weather radar and visual observations to detect cloud formations and precipitation. The turbulence lasted about 10 seconds after entering a cloud formation. There was no radar indications of thunderstorms or precipitation when the turbulence was encountered. No PIREPS had been reported for the area. The FA was unable to continue her duties and directed a passenger on how to use the intercom to communicate with the flight crew. The captain declared a medical emergency and the flight diverted into Louisville International Airport (SDF), Louisville, Kentucky. Emergency services personnel met the airplane at the gate and the passenger and flight attendant were transported to a local hospital. The passenger was released with minor injuries but the flight attendant was diagnosed with a fractured vertebrae.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8543F
- Reported as
- Bombardier CL-600-2B19
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7543
- Airframe hours
- 18,567
- Engines
- general electric CF34-3B1, 9,220 lbs thrust, turbo fangeneral electric CF34-3B1, 9,220 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Pinnacle Airlines Inc, doing business as Delta Connection
- Registered owner
- Wells Fargo Bank Northwest Na Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · July 16, 2009
- Departed
- TYS · knoxville, TN
- Destination
- DTW · Detroit, MI
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 11, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,582 total · 3,476 in this make and model · 3,847 as pilot in command · 51 in the last 90 days · 51 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 26, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,250 total · 1,012 in this make and model · 183 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 64 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 22 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KBWG
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 19, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 263 KB 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.