DCA17CA111

NTSB accident investigation · Airbus A320 232 · Boston, MA · May 2, 2017

Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
May 2, 2017, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
Place
Boston, MA
Injuries
1 serious, 154 uninjured
Damage
No damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N595JBAirbus A320 232
Defining event
Enroute-climb to cruise: Turbulence encounter
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night
Status
Completed · report March 9, 2018
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Major Investigations Division
FAA report
20170502011029A
Case key
95132

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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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 personnelAirbus A320-232: 7 casesAll 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 May 2, 2017 at 7:30pm eastern daylight time, JetBlue flight 1317, an Airbus A320, N595JB, encountered turbulence resulting in a serious injury to a flight attendant. The flight was a regularly scheduled flight from Boston Logan Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts, to the John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, New York. There were no other injuries, and no damage to the airplane. According to the flight attendant statements, the #3 flight attendant (FA) stated that because the ride was "slightly bumpy," she remained seated for an additional 5 to 10 minutes after the cabin received the double chime indicating that the flight had passed 10,000 feet. Once it seemed to have smoothed out, she stood up and began to prepare for cabin service. Shortly after standing up, the airplane shook violently and she was tossed off her feet and into the air and landed on her right ankle, ending up on the galley floor. According to the flight crew statements, they had just completed a flight into BOS on a different airplane with nothing more than light turbulence on descent. Prior to the accident flight, the captain briefed the #1 FA that they had just flown in and didn't expect anything worse than light turbulence during climb out. During climb out, the flight crew indicted they were in and out of the clouds and only experience light chop. The weather radar was on but "was not painting anything." Just prior to leveling off at 14,000 feet they encountered a strong jolt of turbulence and then received a call from the cabin about the #3 flight attendant injury. At the time of the turbulence, the fasten seatbelt sign was illuminated. The injured FA was assisted into a rear customer seat for the remainder of the flight with her foot elevated and ice applied. Because the injured FA was incapacitated, the #2 FA crewed the #3 FA position and a nonrevenue FA crewed the #2 FA position. The flight was met by emergency medical personnel and the FA was transported to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with a broken right ankle.

Factual narrative

On May 2, 2017 at 7:30pm eastern daylight time, JetBlue flight 1317, an Airbus A320, N595JB, encountered turbulence resulting in a serious injury to a flight attendant. The flight was a regularly scheduled flight from Boston Logan Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts, to the John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, New York. There were no other injuries, and no damage to the airplane. According to the flight attendant statements, the #3 flight attendant (FA) stated that because the ride was "slightly bumpy," she remained seated for an additional 5 to 10 minutes after the cabin received the double chime indicating that the flight had passed 10,000 feet. Once it seemed to have smoothed out, she stood up and began to prepare for cabin service. Shortly after standing up, the airplane shook violently and she was tossed off her feet and into the air and landed on her right ankle, ending up on the galley floor. According to the flight crew statements, they had just completed a flight into BOS on a different airplane with nothing more than light turbulence on descent. Prior to the accident flight, the captain briefed the #1 FA that they had just flown in and didn't expect anything worse than light turbulence during climb out. During climb out, the flight crew indicted they were in and out of the clouds and only experience light chop. The weather radar was on but "was not painting anything." Just prior to leveling off at 14,000 feet they encountered a strong jolt of turbulence and then received a call from the cabin about the #3 flight attendant injury. At the time of the turbulence, the fasten seatbelt sign was illuminated. The injured FA was assisted into a rear customer seat for the remainder of the flight with her foot elevated and ice applied. Because the injured FA was incapacitated, the #2 FA crewed the #3 FA position and a nonrevenue FA crewed the #2 FA position. The flight was met by emergency medical personnel and the FA was transported to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with a broken right ankle.

Aircraft

Registration
N595JB
Reported as
Airbus A320 232 (232)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
2286
Built
2004
Airframe hours
50,634
Engines
IAE V2500SERIES, 9,895 horsepower, turbo fanIAE V2500SERIES, 9,895 horsepower, turbo fan
Damage
No damage
Flight
Part 121
Operator
jetBlue Airways
Registered owner
Jetblue Airways Corp
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Transport
Departed
BOS · Boston, MA
Destination
JFK · Queens, NY
Flight plan
IFR
Equipment
Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction 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
49
Injuries
None
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
September 27, 2016
Seat
Left
Flight hours
11,000 total · 6,600 in this make and model · 7,400 as pilot in command · 232 in the last 90 days · 76 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Role
Co-pilot
Age
52
Injuries
None
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land
Medical
Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
October 27, 2016
Seat
Right
Restraint
5-point
Flight hours
13,478 total · 8,962 in this make and model · 2,668 as pilot in command · 173 in the last 90 days · 61 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night
Turbulence
Moderate

Docket · 5

The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 9, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.