DCA17CA079

NTSB accident investigation · Mcdonnell Douglas DC 9 83(MD-83) · Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), TX · March 10, 2017

Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
March 9, 2017, 19:15 local (Mar 10, 2017, 01:15 UTC)
Place
Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), TX
Injuries
1 serious, 106 uninjured
Damage
Minor damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N9615WMcdonnell Douglas DC 9 83(MD-83)
Defining event
Enroute: Turbulence encounter
Weather
Instrument (IMC) · Night
Status
Completed · report March 9, 2018
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Major Investigations Division
Case key
94878

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 convective 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.

Turbulence: convective turbulenceEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnelMcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83(MD-83): 1 caseAll aircraft: 145 casesProbable cause

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 March 9, 2017 at 1915 central standard time, American Airlines flight 2588, a Boeing MD-83, N9615W, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), encountered turbulence at flight level 280 (FL280) during cruise flight from Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas, Texas, resulting in a serious injury to one of the flight attendants (FA). None of the other passengers and crew members were injured and the airplane received minor damage. According to the operator, while enroute to DFW at FL 280, in intermittent IMC conditions at 0.74 Mach, the flight crew was deviating left of assigned course to avoid weather and was northeast of Memphis . The seat belt sign was on and the on-board radar was not depicting any precipitation. The aircraft experienced unexpected turbulence. The #2 and the #4 FAs were seated in their jumpseats in the rear of the aircraft, however, their seatbelts were not fastened. Both the #2 and the #4 FAs struck the overhead ceiling panel and fell to the floor. No passengers reported injuries and the FAs were able to complete their duties. Emergency Medical Service personnel met the FAs at the gate and transported to the hospital. Both FAs were treated and released from the hospital that evening, however, the #2 FA was later diagnosed with fractures to her vertebrae.

Factual narrative

On March 9, 2017 at 1915 central standard time, American Airlines flight 2588, a Boeing MD-83, N9615W, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), encountered turbulence at flight level 280 (FL280) during cruise flight from Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas, Texas, resulting in a serious injury to one of the flight attendants (FA). None of the other passengers and crew members were injured and the airplane received minor damage. According to the operator, while enroute to DFW at FL 280, in intermittent IMC conditions at 0.74 Mach, the flight crew was deviating left of assigned course to avoid weather and was northeast of Memphis . The seat belt sign was on and the on-board radar was not depicting any precipitation. The aircraft experienced unexpected turbulence. The #2 and the #4 FAs were seated in their jumpseats in the rear of the aircraft, however, their seatbelts were not fastened. Both the #2 and the #4 FAs struck the overhead ceiling panel and fell to the floor. No passengers reported injuries and the FAs were able to complete their duties. Emergency Medical Service personnel met the FAs at the gate and transported to the hospital. Both FAs were treated and released from the hospital that evening, however, the #2 FA was later diagnosed with fractures to her vertebrae.

Aircraft

Registration
N9615W
Reported as
Mcdonnell Douglas DC 9 83(MD-83) (83)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
53562
Built
1997
Airframe hours
56,242
Engines
Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219, 21,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanPratt & Whitney JT8D-219, 21,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
Damage
Minor damage
Flight
Part 121
Operator
American Airlines
Registered owner
Wells Fargo
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Transport
Departed
YYZ · Toronto
Destination
DFW · Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Flight plan
IFR
Equipment
Data recorder

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
61
Injuries
None
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Unknown
Last flight review
November 12, 2016
Seat
Left
Restraint
5-point
Flight hours
14,147 total · 1 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command
Role
Co-pilot
Age
33
Injuries
None
Certificate
Airline transport
Medical
Class 1, Unknown
Last flight review
October 8, 2016
Seat
Right
Restraint
5-point
Flight hours
756 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Instrument (IMC) · Night
Turbulence
Moderate

Docket · 1

The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 13, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 598 KB in all.