# NTSB DCA17CA155: Embraer S A ERJ170-200LR, N427YX, Minneapolis, MN, July 20, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: July 19, 2017, 22:45 local (Jul 20, 2017, 03:45 UTC) - Place: Minneapolis, MN - Coordinates: 44.881942, -93.221664 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.8819&lon=-93.2217&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 3 minor, 45 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - NTSB case key (mKey): 95632 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA17CA155 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/95632/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95632 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA17CA155 ## Probable cause An 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: [Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md?model=3260415), [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-descent: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) (defining event); cases with it: [Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=3260415), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md) ## Analysis On July 19, 2017, about 2245 central daylight time, Republic Airlines flight 4678, an Embraer 170, N427YX, encountered turbulence at about 13,000 ft, during descent to Minneapolis International Airport (KMSP), Minneapolis, Minnesota. Of the 49 passengers and crew onboard, one flight attendant received serious injuries and three passengers received minor injuries. The airplane was not damaged. The regularly scheduled passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from Miami International Airport (KMIA), Miami, Florida, to KMSP. The captain stated that as the flight neared Minneapolis, he turned on the seatbelt sign, just before top of descent, for the arrival into KMSP. He contacted the flight attendants (FA) and briefed them on the weather around Minneapolis and told them to be seated within “about 10 to 13 minutes of the weather”. The first officer then made the descent announcement on the public address system, instructing the passengers to be seated and to fasten their seatbelts due to possible turbulence. Subsequently, during the descent, the airplane entered a cloud and encountered “one swift jolt of turbulence followed by moderate turbulence for a few seconds”. The airplane radar was on but there were no returns in front of the airplane. The captain disconnected the autopilot and maintained positive control of the airplane. Shortly after, the flight crew received a call from a flight attendant reporting injuries to passengers and a FA. The FAs indicated that after the captain informed them of the expected turbulence, they prepared their gallies for landing and made their compliance checks in the cabin. As the aft FA was sitting down in her jumpseat, the turbulence was encountered, and she was thrown into the air and down to the galley floor, injuring her right wrist and left arm. In addition, several passengers were thrown into their passenger service units and one lap-child was thrown several rows away from her mother. The injured FA and passengers were attended to by the uninjured FAs for the remainder of the flight. After landing, the airplane was met at the gate by emergency medical personnel and the injured FA and several passengers were transported to the hospital. The FA was diagnosed with a fractured right wrist and left arm. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N427YX](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N427YX), registered now, S/N 17000402, built 2014 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: EMBRAER S A ERJ170-200LR (200LR) - Registry model: [Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-s-a-erj-170-200-lr) (registry code 3260415) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [GE CF34-8E5](https://openairdocs.org/engine/ge-cf34-8e5) (registry code 30061, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17000402 - Year built: 2014 - Engines: General Electric CF34-8E turbo fan; General Electric CF34-8E turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Republic Airline Inc - Registered owner: Republic Airline Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: MIA, Miami, FL - Destination: Minneapolis, MN - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 38; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 22, 2016; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 4,500 total, 2,234 in this make and model - Co-pilot; age 28; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review May 19, 2017; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 2,000 total, 1,538 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night - Altimeter: 29.92 inHg ## 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 20170719012549A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170719012549A), Jul 19, 2017: Embraer S A ERJ170-200LR, Msp, MN, No damage. On July 19, 2017, about 2245 central standard time (CST) (0345Z), republic airline, inc., flight 4678, an Embraer 175, N427YX, experienced severe turbulence… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 13, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95632. 5.3 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 31 pages, 5.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11710344&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20complete%20packet%204678%2019JUL_Redacted-Rel-Rel.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.