- Date
- December 23, 2015, 01:16 local (07:16 UTC)
- Place
- Charlotte, NC
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 141 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N475WNBoeing 737 7H4
- Defining event
- Approach-IFR final approach: Clear air turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 92588
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 clear air 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 December 23, 2015, at about 00:30 central daylight time, Southwest Airlines flight 834, a Boeing 737-700, N475WN, encountered clear air turbulence while descending for approach to Charlotte/Douglas Intl (KCLT), Charlotte, North Carolina. Of the 142 passengers and crewmembers onboard, one flight attendant received serious injuries and the airplane was not damaged. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Chicago Midway Intl (KMDW), Chicago, Illinois, to KCLT. At the time of the turbulence encounter, the "B" flight attendant (FA) was securing the galley for landing when she was thrown into the air and landed on the metal part of the galley. She was unable to stand back up on her own and required assistance from the other FAs. After landing the injured FA was transported to a local hospital upon arrival to KCLT where she was diagnosed with a broken foot
Factual narrative
On December 23, 2015, at about 0130 eastern standard time, Southwest Airlines flight 834, a Boeing 737-700, N475WN, encountered clear air turbulence while descending for approach to Charlotte/Douglas Intl (KCLT), Charlotte, North Carolina. Of the 142 passengers and crewmembers onboard, one flight attendant received serious injuries and the airplane was not damaged. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Chicago Midway Intl (KMDW), Chicago, Illinois, to KCLT. At the time of the turbulence encounter, the "B" flight attendant (FA) was securing the galley for landing when she was thrown into the air and landed on the metal part of the galley. She was unable to stand back up on her own and required assistance from the other FAs. After landing the injured FA was transported to a local hospital upon arrival to KCLT where she was diagnosed with a broken foot
Aircraft
- Registration
- N475WN
- Reported as
- Boeing 737 7H4 (7H4)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32474
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 40,928
- Engines
- CFM Intl. CFM56 SERIES, 24,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanCFM Intl. CFM56 SERIES, 24,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Southwest Airlines Co, doing business as Southwest Airlines Co.
- Registered owner
- Southwest Airlines Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · December 22, 2015
- Departed
- KMDW · Chicago, IL
- Destination
- KCLT · Charlotte, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder, Auto-pilot, Onboard weather, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
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 · 5
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- July 30, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 18,300 total · 15,100 in this make and model · 13,100 as pilot in command · 256 in the last 90 days · 84 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 10,500 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 3,500 as pilot in command · 185 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 7.3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- Serious
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Wind
- 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Turbulence
- Moderate
- Observed at
- CLT, 240 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 13, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.