# NTSB DCA12CA062: Airbus Industrie A319-132, N808AW, Buena Vista, CO, April 15, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: April 15, 2012, 05:49 UTC - Place: Buena Vista, CO - Coordinates: 38.834999, -106.278892 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8350&lon=-106.2789&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious, 1 minor, 95 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 9, 2018 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - NTSB case key (mKey): 83410 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA12CA062 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/83410/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83410 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA12CA062 ## Probable cause an inadvertent encounter with mountain wave turbulence. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Turbulence: terrain induced turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Airbus Industrie A319-132, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010/cases.md?model=3930340), [All aircraft, 70 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) (defining event); cases with it: [Airbus Industrie A319-132, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=3930340), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md) ## Analysis On 15 April 2012, at approximately 0549 coordinated universal time, US Airways flight 496, an Airbus A319-132, N808AW, encountered severe mountain wave turbulence at flight level 320 in the vicinity of Buena Vista, Colorado. Of the 98 passengers and crew onboard, two flight attendants received serious injuries and one passenger received minor injuries during the encounter. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight between Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (KPHX), Phoenix, Arizona, and Denver International Airport (KDEN), Denver, Colorado. According to the operator, the captain was the pilot monitoring, and the first officer (FO) was the pilot flying. The flight was cleared to descend from FL390 to 17,000 feet. The seatbelt sign was on during the descent and there were no pilot reports of turbulence in the area. The captain turned on the weather radar and noted no returns present between the airplane and the airport. As the airplane passed through about FL320, the captain noticed the airspeed rapidly increasing. He disconnected the autopilot while simultaneously notifying the FO of the overspeed and began to apply a nose-up input. The FO also began to command a nose-up input at that time and so the captain released his pitch up input. The crew received an overspeed warning and then encountered severe turbulence. The flight crew stated the encounter lasted about 10 – 15 seconds. After the encounter, both Elevator and Aileron Computers (ELAC) faults were displayed. The FO resumed pilot flying duties while the Captain performed the appropriate actions to reset ELAC 1 and 2, report the encounter to air traffic control and dispatch, and contacted the flight attendants. The A flight attendant (A-FA) was in the forward jumpseat and the B flight attendant (B-FA) and C flight attendant (C-FA) were in the aft galley sitting in their jumpseats without their seatbelts on. During the turbulence encounter, both aft flight attendants struck the overhead ceiling, panels before landing on the floor. Two passengers who were also not wearing their seatbelts were lifted out of their seats and struck the ceiling panels during the encounter. Oxygen masks in several rows of seats were also released as a result of the turbulence. Two onboard medical personnel tended to the B-FA and C-FA with the assistance of the A-FA. The captain declared a medical emergency and arranged for emergency personnel to meet the flight on arrival. At the gate, paramedics transported the two injured flight attendants and one of the injured passengers to the hospital. ## Factual narrative On 15 April 2012, at approximately 0549 coordinated universal time, US Airways flight 496, an Airbus A319-132, N808AW, encountered severe mountain wave turbulence at flight level 320 in the vicinity of Buena Vista, Colorado. Of the 98 passengers and crew onboard, two flight attendants received serious injuries and one passenger received minor injuries during the encounter. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight between Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (KPHX), Phoenix, Arizona, and Denver International Airport (KDEN), Denver, Colorado. According to the operator, the captain was the pilot monitoring, and the first officer (FO) was the pilot flying. The flight was cleared to descend from FL390 to 17,000 feet. The seatbelt sign was on during the descent and there were no pilot reports of turbulence in the area. The captain turned on the weather radar and noted no returns present between the airplane and the airport. As the airplane passed through about FL320, the captain noticed the airspeed rapidly increasing. He disconnected the autopilot while simultaneously notifying the FO of the overspeed and began to apply a nose-up input. The FO also began to command a nose-up input at that time and so the captain released his pitch up input. The crew received an overspeed warning and then encountered severe turbulence. The flight crew stated the encounter lasted about 10 – 15 seconds. After the encounter, both Elevator and Aileron Computers (ELAC) faults were displayed. The FO resumed pilot flying duties while the Captain performed the appropriate actions to reset ELAC 1 and 2, report the encounter to air traffic control and dispatch, and contacted the flight attendants. The A flight attendant (A-FA) was in the forward jumpseat and the B flight attendant (B-FA) and C flight attendant (C-FA) were in the aft galley sitting in their jumpseats without their seatbelts on. During the turbulence encounter, both aft flight attendants struck the overhead ceiling, panels before landing on the floor. Two passengers who were also not wearing their seatbelts were lifted out of their seats and struck the ceiling panels during the encounter. Oxygen masks in several rows of seats were also released as a result of the turbulence. Two onboard medical personnel tended to the B-FA and C-FA with the assistance of the A-FA. The captain declared a medical emergency and arranged for emergency personnel to meet the flight on arrival. At the gate, paramedics transported the two injured flight attendants and one of the injured passengers to the hospital. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N808AW](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N808AW), registered now, S/N 1088, built 1999 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A319-132 - Registry model: [Airbus Industrie A319-132](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-industrie-a319-132) (registry code 3930340) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [IAE V2500SERIES](https://openairdocs.org/engine/iae-v2500series) (registry code 34601, turbo-jet) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1088 - Engines: IAE V2500SERIES 25000 lbs thrust turbo jet; IAE V2500SERIES 25000 lbs thrust turbo jet - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: US Airways Inc - Registered owner: U S Bank Na Trustee - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: KPHX, Phoenix, AZ - Destination: Denver, CO - Flight plan: IFR ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark ## Docket (8 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 13, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83410. 5.8 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 967 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40460816&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Flight Data Recorder 10 - Specialist's Factual Report (item 2, .PDF, 469 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40374164&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF - Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 1 - Tabular Data - Flight - (CSV Format) (item 3, ZIP, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40374165&FileExtension=zip&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Attachment%201%20-%20Tabular%20Data%20-%20Flight%20-%20(CSV%20Format)-Master - Survival Factors 6 - Specialist Report of Flight Attendant Interviews (item 4, .PDF, 540 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40374430&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Survival%20Factors%206%20-%20Specialist%20Report%20of%20Flight%20Attendant%20Interviews-Redacted.PDF - Meteorology 5 - Factual Report of Group Chairman (item 5, .PDF, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376954&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Meteorology%205%20-%20Factual%20Report%20of%20Group%20Chairman-Master.PDF - Meteorology 5 - Attachment 1 (item 6, .PDF, 117 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376959&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Meteorology%205%20-%20Attachment%201-Master.PDF - Operations 2 - Factual Report of Group Chairman (item 7, .PDF, 420 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40384379&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Operations%202%20-%20Factual%20Report%20of%20Group%20Chairman-Master.PDF - Operations 2 - Attachment 1 - Crew Interview Summaries and Written Statements (item 8, .PDF, 954 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40384381&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Operations%202%20-%20Attachment%201%20-%20Crew%20Interview%20Summaries%20and%20Written%20Statements-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.