# NTSB DCA17CA111: Airbus A320 232, N595JB, Boston, MA, May 2, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: May 2, 2017, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC) - Place: Boston, MA - Coordinates: 42.209999, -71 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.2100&lon=-71.0000&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-climb to cruise: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 154 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 9, 2018 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - NTSB case key (mKey): 95132 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA17CA111 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/95132/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95132 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA17CA111 ## 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: [Airbus A320-232, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md?model=3940004), [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-climb to cruise: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) (defining event); cases with it: [Airbus A320-232, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=3940004), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md) ## 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](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N595JB), registered now, S/N 2286, built 2004 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIRBUS A320 232 (232) - Registry model: [Airbus A320-232](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-a320-232) (registry code 3940004) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [IAE V2500SERIES](https://openairdocs.org/engine/iae-v2500series) (registry code 34601, turbo-jet) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 2286 - Year built: 2004 - Airframe hours: 50634 - Engines: IAE V2500SERIES 9895 horsepower turbo fan; IAE V2500SERIES 9895 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 ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; injuries: none; 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 - Co-pilot; age 52; injuries: none; 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 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20170502011029A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170502011029A), May 2, 2017: Airbus A320-232, Boston, MA, No damage. At approximately 1910 on may 2, 2017, jetblue airways flight 1317 en-route from Boston, MA to John F. Kennedy International Airport, new york, NY encountered… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 9, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95132. 1.3 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 600 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40460765&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Party Form (item 2, .PDF, 240 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40460750&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Party%20Form-Master.PDF - Flight Crew Statements (item 3, .PDF, 105 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40460751&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Flight%20Crew%20Statements-Master.PDF - Cabin Crew Statements (item 4, .PDF, 305 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40460752&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Cabin%20Crew%20Statements-Master.PDF - Weather Reports and Records (item 5, .PDF, 17 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40460753&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records-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.