- Date
- February 13, 2017, 11:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Dulles, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 52 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N838CABombardier DHC 8 311
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 94745
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 February 13, 2017, at 1115 eastern standard time, a Bombardier DHC-8, operated by Commutair as a scheduled flight from Fayetteville, North Carolina, to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), encountered turbulence resulting in a serious injury to the flight attendant. The airplane was not damaged and there were no other injuries. According to the operator, the flight was in smooth conditions during the cruise portion and initial descent. The Captain stated that as he finished the before-landing checklist at 4,000 feet, approximately 50 miles south of IAD, the flight encountered a "pocket" of moderate turbulence resulting in a descent rate of about 600 feet per minute and an altitude loss of about 400 feet. The Captain called to the cabin to check on the passengers and the flight attendant reported she injured her leg and could not walk. The flight attendant reported that she was in the final stages of preparing the cabin for landing when the turbulence occurred. Passengers assisted her until landing and paramedics met the aircraft at the gate. The flight attendant was diagnosed with a broken ankle.
Factual narrative
On February 13, 2017, at 1115 eastern standard time, a Bombardier DHC-8, operated by Commutair as a scheduled flight from Fayetteville, North Carolina, to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), encountered turbulence resulting in a serious injury to the flight attendant. The airplane was not damaged and there were no other injuries. According to the operator, the flight was in smooth conditions during the cruise portion and initial descent. The Captain stated that as he finished the before-landing checklist at 4,000 feet, approximately 50 miles south of IAD, the flight encountered a "pocket" of moderate turbulence resulting in a descent rate of about 600 feet per minute and an altitude loss of about 400 feet. The Captain called to the cabin to check on the passengers and the flight attendant reported she injured her leg and could not walk. The flight attendant reported that she was in the final stages of preparing the cabin for landing when the turbulence occurred. Passengers assisted her until landing and paramedics met the aircraft at the gate. The flight attendant was diagnosed with a broken ankle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N838CA
- Reported as
- Bombardier DHC 8 311 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 527
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 35,111.18
- Engines
- P&W Canada PW123, turbo propP&W Canada PW123, turbo prop
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Commutair
- Registered owner
- Wells Fargo Bank Northwest,
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- January 30, 2017
- Departed
- KFAY · Fayettville, NC
- Destination
- KIAD · Dulles, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KIAD · Washington Dulles Internationa
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Data recorder, Angle of attack indicator, Stall warning system
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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Last flight review
- March 25, 2016
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 3,094 total · 1,414 in this make and model
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 14, 2016
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,407 total · 405 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Icing
- Unknown
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 12, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 601 KB in all.