# NTSB DCA16CA089: Airbus Industrie A319 132, N827AW, Minneapolis, MN, February 14, 2016 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: February 14, 2016, 16:35 local (22:35 UTC) - Place: Minneapolis, MN - Coordinates: 44.881942, -93.221664 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.8819&lon=-93.2217&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, 104 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 22, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - NTSB case key (mKey): 92723 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA16CA089 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/92723/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=92723 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA16CA089 ## Probable cause an encounter with turbulence that resulted in a serious injury to a passenger who was standing when the fasten seatbelt sign was illuminated. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Communication (personnel): following instructions](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063537): Personnel issues › Task performance · Passenger (probable cause); cases with it: [Airbus Industrie A319-132, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063537/cases.md?model=3930340), [All aircraft, 31 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063537/cases.md) - [Turbulence: convective turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Airbus Industrie A319-132, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md?model=3930340), [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: [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 February 14, 2016, about 04:35 central standard time, American Airlines flight 476, an Airbus A319, N827AW, encountered turbulence during the initial descent to Minneapolis International Airport (MSP), Minneapolis, Minnesota. Of the 100 passengers and crew onboard, one passenger received serious injuries. The airplane was not damaged. The regularly scheduled passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Phoenix, Arizona, to MSP. The flight crew stated that at FL350, prior to their planned top-of-descent, Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) informed them to expect light turbulence during the descent through about FL280. The captain made a public address announcement to the passengers and cabin crew to expect light turbulence so to fasten their seatbelts. The seatbelt sign was on at that time, and had been on most of the flight due to light turbulence. As the flight was descending through about FL310, the nose of the airplane dipped down and the airspeed increased, and to avoid an overspeed the pilot flying pitched the nose up and deployed the speed brakes. Subsequently, they received a call from the flight attendants that a passenger had been injured after having stood up "to stretch" just before the turbulence. After arriving at the gate, the passenger was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with a broken leg. ## Factual narrative On February 14, 2016, about 04:35 central standard time, American Airlines flight 476, an Airbus A319, N827AW, encountered turbulence during the initial descent to Minneapolis International Airport (MSP), Minneapolis, Minnesota. Of the 100 passengers and crew onboard, one passenger received serious injuries. The airplane was not damaged. The regularly scheduled passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Phoenix, Arizona, to MSP. The flight crew stated that at FL350, prior to their planned top-of-descent, Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) informed them to expect light turbulence during the descent through about FL280. The captain made a public address announcement to the passengers and cabin crew to expect light turbulence so to fasten their seatbelts. The seatbelt sign was on at that time, and had been on most of the flight due to light turbulence. As the flight was descending through about FL310, the nose of the airplane dipped down and the airspeed increased, and to avoid an overspeed the pilot flying pitched the nose up and deployed the speed brakes. Subsequently, they received a call from the flight attendants that a passenger had been injured after having stood up "to stretch" just before the turbulence. After arriving at the gate, the passenger was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with a broken leg. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N827AW](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N827AW), registered now, S/N 1547, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A319 132 (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: 1547 - Year built: 2001 - Engines: IAE V2500SERIES 9895 horsepower turbo fan; IAE V2500SERIES 9895 horsepower turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: American Airlines - Registered owner: US Bank Na Trustee - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: PHX, Phoenix, AZ - Destination: MSP, Minneapolis, MN - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 51; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 10,000 total, 2,171 in this make and model - Co-pilot; age 50; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 10,000 total, 2,069 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night ## 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 20160214001019A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160214001019A), Feb 14, 2016: Airbus Industrie A319-132, Minneapolis, MN, No damage. AAL476 was enroute from phx to msp and was beginning the descent. Air traffic control advised the pilot that they would experience light turbulence in the… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=92723. 4.4 MB in all. - Flight data recorder - specialista��s factual report (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=5210917&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA16CA089_FDR_Factual_Complete-Rel.pdf - Flight data recorder - attachment 1 (FDR tabular data) (item 2, ZIP, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=5210980&FileExtension=zip&FileName=DCA16CA089_TABULAR_DATA-Rel.zip - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 3, PDF, 9 pages, 575 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=8528278&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20for%20DCA16CA089_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot's statement (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 60 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9436901&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20statements%20DCA16CA089-Rel.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.