- Date
- January 10, 2014, 07:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- Atlanta, GA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 140 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N687DLBoeing 757 232
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 88664
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
unexpected encounter with convective turbulence while the flight attendants were preparing for arrival.
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
The flight crew was anticipating light turbulence during the descent and notified the cabin and selected the fasten seatbelt sign on prior to descending from 28,000 feet. During the descent, as the flight attendants (FA) were still preparing the cabin for arrival, the turbulence increased to a level the crew categorized as moderate. During this time, while trying to get to her seat, a FA was thrown against the 3L door and fell to the floor injuring her right ankle. The FA could not complete her duties and was assisted into the last row of seats. Another FA informed the flight crew who arranged for paramedics to meet the airplane. The FA was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with a broken right tibia in two places.
Factual narrative
The flight crew was anticipating light turbulence during the descent and notified the cabin and selected the fasten seatbelt sign on prior to descending from 28,000 feet. During the descent, as the flight attendants (FA) were still preparing the cabin for arrival, the turbulence increased to a level the crew categorized as moderate. During this time, while trying to get to her seat, a FA was thrown against the 3L door and fell to the floor injuring her right ankle. The FA could not complete her duties and was assisted into the last row of seats. Another FA informed the flight crew who arranged for paramedics to meet the airplane. The FA was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with a broken right tibia in two places.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N687DL
- Reported as
- Boeing 757 232 (232)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27586
- Built
- 1998
- Engines
- unknownunknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Delta Air Lines Inc
- Registered owner
- Delta Air Lines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- KJAX · Jacksonville, FL
- Destination
- KATL · Atlanta, GA
- 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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Last flight review
- December 11, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 12,296 total · 4,712 in this make and model · 180 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Last flight review
- August 22, 2013
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 6,081 total · 3,051 in this make and model · 123 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Not reported
- Wind
- 80° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KATL, 40 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 MB in all.
Other investigations on N687DL · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.