# NTSB DCA12CA086: Boeing 757 2B7, N936UW, Philadelphia, PA, June 7, 2012

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report
- Date: June 7, 2012, 12:16 local (16:16 UTC)
- Place: Philadelphia, PA
- Coordinates: 39.874443, -75.241943 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8744&lon=-75.2419&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: 1 serious, 1 minor, 184 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report March 9, 2018
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Major Investigations Division
- NTSB case key (mKey): 83891
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA12CA086
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/83891/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83891
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA12CA086

## Probable cause

an inadvertent encounter with convective turbulence.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Turbulence: convective turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Boeing 757-2B7, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md?model=1384964), [All aircraft, 145 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/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: [Boeing 757-2B7, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=1384964), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md)

## Analysis

On June 7, 2012, at approximately 1600 coordinated universal time, US Airways flight 1078, a Boeing 757-200, N936UW, encountered turbulence during descent into Philadelphia International Airport (KPHL), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One flight attendant in the aft galley suffered a broken ankle and two other flight attendants suffered minor injuries. The other five crewmembers and 178 passengers were not injured and the airplane was not damaged. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (LRSM), San Juan, Puerto Rico, to KPHL. According to the operator, the flight crew weather briefing indicated no turbulence forecast for the route of flight. The departure, cruise, and initial descent portions of the flight were uneventful. The captain reportedly turned on the seatbelt sign when the flight was passing through flight level 180. About 50 miles outside of KPHL, the flight crew identified a small band of cumulus clouds between 13,000 feet and 9,000 feet. The captain made a public-address announcement to the passengers reminding them to have their seatbelts fastened and alerted them to the possibility of some minor turbulence as they passed through the clouds. Prior to descending through 10,000 feet, the flight encountered moderate turbulence for approximately 3-5 seconds. There were no pilot reports or advisories from air traffic control about turbulence in the area. When the turbulence was encountered, the D flight attendant (FA) was in the aft galley performing final landing preparations and was lifted into the air and thrown the floor near the last row of passenger seats. She was assisted by other FA's but remained on the floor for the remainder of the flight due to her injured leg. Paramedics met the airplane at the gate and transported the flight attendant to the hospital where she was diagnosed with fractures to her tibia and fibula.

## Factual narrative

On June 7, 2012, at approximately 1600 coordinated universal time, US Airways flight 1078, a Boeing 757-200, N936UW, encountered turbulence during descent into Philadelphia International Airport (KPHL), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One flight attendant in the aft galley suffered a broken ankle and two other flight attendants suffered minor injuries. The other five crewmembers and 178 passengers were not injured and the airplane was not damaged. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (LRSM), San Juan, Puerto Rico, to KPHL. According to the operator, the flight crew weather briefing indicated no turbulence forecast for the route of flight. The departure, cruise, and initial descent portions of the flight were uneventful. The captain reportedly turned on the seatbelt sign when the flight was passing through flight level 180. About 50 miles outside of KPHL, the flight crew identified a small band of cumulus clouds between 13,000 feet and 9,000 feet. The captain made a public-address announcement to the passengers reminding them to have their seatbelts fastened and alerted them to the possibility of some minor turbulence as they passed through the clouds. Prior to descending through 10,000 feet, the flight encountered moderate turbulence for approximately 3-5 seconds. There were no pilot reports or advisories from air traffic control about turbulence in the area. When the turbulence was encountered, the D flight attendant (FA) was in the aft galley performing final landing preparations and was lifted into the air and thrown the floor near the last row of passenger seats. She was assisted by other FA's but remained on the floor for the remainder of the flight due to her injured leg. Paramedics met the airplane at the gate and transported the flight attendant to the hospital where she was diagnosed with fractures to her tibia and fibula.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N936UW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N936UW-2018-11-26), registration cancelled 2018-11-26, S/N 27244, built 1994 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 757 2B7 (2B7)
- Registry model: [Boeing 757-2B7](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-757-2b7) (registry code 1384964) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Rolls-Royce RB-211 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-rb-211-series) (registry code 54555, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 27244
- Year built: 1994
- Airframe hours: 59240
- Engines: ROLLS-ROYC RB.211 SERIES 40100 lbs thrust turbo fan; ROLLS-ROYC RB.211 SERIES 40100 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Operator: American Airlines
- Registered owner: Wells Fargo Bank Northwest Na Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, June 6, 2012
- Departed: SJU, San Juan, PR
- Destination: KPHL, Philadelphia, PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: PHL, Philadelphia Intl
- Equipment: Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Data recorder

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 61; injuries: none; airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review March 14, 2012; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 22,973 total, 886 in this make and model, 5,864 as pilot in command, 195 in the last 90 days, 85 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours
- Co-pilot; age 57; injuries: none; airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 16, 2011; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 19,770 total, 5,870 in this make and model, 5,643 as pilot in command, 245 in the last 90 days, 92 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 15 knots
- Lowest ceiling: 13,000 ft
- Turbulence: Moderate

## 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 20120607010549A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120607010549A), Jun 7, 2012: Boeing 757-2B7, Atlantic City, NJ, No damage. During descent into philadelphia international airport, the flight encountered moderate turbulence while descending through clouds between 10,000-12,000 feet.…

## Docket (5 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 12, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83891. 12.9 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40460764&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, 719 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40381151&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF
- Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 1 FDR Tabular Entire (item 3, .CSV, 11.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40381153&FileExtension=.csv&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Attachment%201%20FDR%20Tabular%20Entire-Master.csv
- Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 2 FDR Tabular 30 Seconds (item 4, .CSV, 11 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40381154&FileExtension=.csv&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Attachment%202%20FDR%20Tabular%2030%20Seconds-Master.csv
- Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 3 FDR Tabular 2 Minutes (item 5, .CSV, 78 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40381155&FileExtension=.csv&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Attachment%203%20FDR%20Tabular%202%20Minutes-Master.csv

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.

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