- Date
- July 28, 2016, 01:11 local (05:11 UTC)
- Place
- Bermuda, Bermuda
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 6 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N913JBAirbus A321 231
- Defining event
- Enroute: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 93747
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 July 28, 2016, at 0111 eastern daylight time, JetBlue Airways as flight 1561, an Airbus A321, N913JB, experienced turbulence during cruise that resulted in one flight attendant sustaining a serious injury. There were no injuries to the other passengers and crew aboard and the airplane was not damaged. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Queens, New York to Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI), Christchurch, Barbados. The flight diverted to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), San Juan, Puerto Rico . According to the operator, aircraft encountered turbulence during cruise while the flight attendant (FA) at position #4 was carrying a pot of hot water from the aft galley towards one of the aft lavatories. The FA stated that she held on to the galley counter with her right hand and swung the coffee pot in her left towards the jumpseat away from another flight attendant. She stated that the aircraft experienced another sudden drop and the water in the pot flew up in the air and landed on her left shoulder and left side resulting in second-degree burns. The flight crew indicated that at the time of the event the weather conditions were mostly clear, but had encountered short segments of instrument weather conditions as forecasted with no associated turbulence or precipitation. They indicated that they had been actively using the onboard weather radar, but there were no returns that led to deviations. The first officer stated that the turbulence was sudden, with no other associated rain or precipitation and then immediately calm again, so no actions were taken. The operator indicated that the flight data from the Quick Access Recorder (QAR) showed smooth conditions prior to the turbulence encounter.
Factual narrative
On July 28, 2016, at 0111 eastern daylight time, JetBlue Airways as flight 1561, an Airbus A321, N913JB, experienced turbulence during cruise that resulted in one flight attendant sustaining a serious injury. There were no injuries to the other passengers and crew aboard and the airplane was not damaged. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Queens, New York to Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI), Christchurch, Barbados. The flight diverted to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), San Juan, Puerto Rico . According to the operator, aircraft encountered turbulence during cruise while the flight attendant (FA) at position #4 was carrying a pot of hot water from the aft galley towards one of the aft lavatories. The FA stated that she held on to the galley counter with her right hand and swung the coffee pot in her left towards the jumpseat away from another flight attendant. She stated that the aircraft experienced another sudden drop and the water in the pot flew up in the air and landed on her left shoulder and left side resulting in second-degree burns. The flight crew indicated that at the time of the event the weather conditions were mostly clear, but had encountered short segments of instrument weather conditions as forecasted with no associated turbulence or precipitation. They indicated that they had been actively using the onboard weather radar, but there were no returns that led to deviations. The first officer stated that the turbulence was sudden, with no other associated rain or precipitation and then immediately calm again, so no actions were taken. The operator indicated that the flight data from the Quick Access Recorder (QAR) showed smooth conditions prior to the turbulence encounter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N913JB
- Reported as
- Airbus A321 231 (231)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5909
- Built
- 2013
- Engines
- IAE V2533-A5, 11,990 horsepower, turbo fanIAE V2533-A5, 11,990 horsepower, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- JetBlue
- Registered owner
- JetBlue
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- JFK · New York, NY
- Destination
- BGI · Seawell, Christ Church
- 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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 29, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 13,450 total · 7,000 in this make and model · 3,100 as pilot in command
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 29, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Turbulence
- Moderate
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 24, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 MB in all.