# NTSB DCA17CA079: Mcdonnell Douglas DC 9 83(MD-83), N9615W, Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), TX, March 10, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: March 9, 2017, 19:15 local (Mar 10, 2017, 01:15 UTC) - Place: Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), TX - Coordinates: 32.900001, -97.040557 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.9000&lon=-97.0406&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 106 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 9, 2018 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - NTSB case key (mKey): 94878 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA17CA079 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/94878/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=94878 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA17CA079 ## Probable cause an inadvertent encounter with convective turbulence. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Turbulence: convective turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83(MD-83), 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md?model=3022083), [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: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) (defining event); cases with it: [Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83(MD-83), 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=3022083), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md) ## 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](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9615W), registered now, S/N 53562, built 1997 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC 9 83(MD-83) (83) - Registry model: [Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83(MD-83)](https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-dc-9-83-md-83) (registry code 3022083) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney JT8D series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jt8d-series) (registry code 52053, turbo-jet) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 53562 - Year built: 1997 - Airframe hours: 56242 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 21000 lbs thrust turbo fan; Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 21000 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 ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: none; 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 - Co-pilot; age 33; injuries: none; 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 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 13, 2017, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=94878. 598 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 598 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40458906&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.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.