- Date
- July 26, 2016, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cleveland, OH
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 52 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N655RWEmbraer ERJ 170 100 SE
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- FAA report
- 20160726011589A
- Case key
- 93767
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 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 26, 2016 at 5:00 pm eastern daylight time, Republic Airlines flight 3458, an Embraer 170, N655RW, encountered turbulence during descent at about 16,500 feet. Of the 53 passengers and crew members onboard, one flight attendant was seriously injured and the airplane was not damaged. The airplane was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Houston, Texas, to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), Cleveland, Ohio. The flight crew reported that on initial check in with CLE approach control, the controller advised of moderate turbulence. The first officer was in the process of notifying the cabin when the aircraft encountered turbulence. The crew reported the duration of the turbulence was only a few seconds. One flight attendant working in the aft galley fell and broke her left tibia. A medical doctor on board assisted the flight attendant. The flight crew notified operations to have EMS meet the flight and the airplane landed with no further incident.
Factual narrative
On July 26, 2016 at 5:00 pm eastern daylight time, Republic Airlines flight 3458, an Embraer 170, N655RW, encountered turbulence during descent at about 16,500 feet. Of the 53 passengers and crew members onboard, one flight attendant was seriously injured and the airplane was not damaged. The airplane was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Houston, Texas, to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), Cleveland, Ohio. The flight crew reported that on initial check in with CLE approach control, the controller advised of moderate turbulence. The first officer was in the process of notifying the cabin when the aircraft encountered turbulence. The crew reported the duration of the turbulence was only a few seconds. One flight attendant working in the aft galley fell and broke her left tibia. A medical doctor on board assisted the flight attendant. The flight crew notified operations to have EMS meet the flight and the airplane landed with no further incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N655RW
- Reported as
- Embraer ERJ 170 100 SE (100SE)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17000105
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 31,137
- Engines
- GE CF34-8E, 5,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanGE CF34-8E, 5,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Republic Airways Holdings, doing business as United Airlines
- Registered owner
- Republic Airways Holdings
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- May 15, 2016
- Departed
- KIAH · Houston, TX
- Destination
- KCLE · Cleveland, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KCLE · Cleveland-Hopkins Internationa
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder, Angle of attack indicator, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Turbulence
- Moderate
- Observed at
- CLE
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 24, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.