# NTSB DCA18CA049: Embraer S A ERJ170-200LR, N128SY, Saint Louis, MO, December 18, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: December 17, 2017, 23:45 local (Dec 18, 2017, 05:45 UTC) - Place: Saint Louis, MO - Coordinates: 38.742221, -90.365837 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7422&lon=-90.3658&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-descent: Cabin safety event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/110) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 56 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 8, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - Lead agency: Other - NTSB case key (mKey): 96503 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA18CA049 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96503/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96503 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA18CA049 ## Probable cause the abrupt pitch up maneuver which caused the flight attendant to lose her balance and injure her ankle. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Flight crew (probable cause); cases with it: [Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=3260415), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-descent: Cabin safety event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/110) (defining event); cases with it: [Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/110/sequence.md?model=3260415), [All aircraft, 151 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/110/sequence.md) ## Analysis On December 17, 2017, about 2345 central standard time, SkyWest flight 5788, an Embraer ERJ700, N128SY, experienced a sudden pitch correction during descent into St. Louis International Airport (STL), St Louis, Missouri. Of the 57 passengers and crew onboard, one flight attendant was seriously injured. The airplane was not damaged. The flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to STL. According to the flight crew, the captain was the pilot monitoring and the first officer (FO) was the pilot flying and was on his second day of initial operating experience (IOE). The air was smooth with no turbulence. Air traffic control requested the flight give its "best forward speed" and cleared it direct to the airport. The crew discussed and planned the descent and after entering the data into the flight management system (FMS), noticed they were past the top of descent point for the 3-degree descent path they had entered. As a result, the captain had the FO select flight level change and the descent rate briefly exceeded 5,000 feet/minute and the airspeed increased. To prevent an overspeed condition, the captain instructed the FO to deploy the speed brakes, but the speed continued to increase, so the captain disconnected the autopilot and pitched the nose up. At the time of the unexpected pitch input, the rear flight attendant (FA) was preparing the galley for landing and was thrown off-balance onto the floor, causing her to twist her ankle. Medically qualified passengers assisted the FA until landing. After landing, the FA was transported to the hospital where she was diagnosed with an ankle fracture. ## Factual narrative On December 17, 2017, about 2345 central standard time, SkyWest flight 5788, an Embraer ERJ700, N128SY, experienced a sudden pitch correction during descent into St. Louis International Airport (STL), St Louis, Missouri. Of the 57 passengers and crew onboard, one flight attendant was seriously injured. The airplane was not damaged. The flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to STL. According to the flight crew, the captain was the pilot monitoring and the first officer (FO) was the pilot flying and was on his second day of initial operating experience (IOE). The air was smooth with no turbulence. Air traffic control requested the flight give its "best forward speed" and cleared it direct to the airport. The crew discussed and planned the descent and after entering the data into the flight management system (FMS), noticed they were past the top of descent point for the 3-degree descent path they had entered. As a result, the captain had the FO select flight level change and the descent rate briefly exceeded 5,000 feet/minute and the airspeed increased. To prevent an overspeed condition, the captain instructed the FO to deploy the speed brakes, but the speed continued to increase, so the captain disconnected the autopilot and pitched the nose up. At the time of the unexpected pitch input, the rear flight attendant (FA) was preparing the galley for landing and was thrown off-balance onto the floor, causing her to twist her ankle. Medically qualified passengers assisted the FA until landing. After landing, the FA was transported to the hospital where she was diagnosed with an ankle fracture. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N128SY](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N128SY), registered now, S/N 17000445, 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: 17000445 - Year built: 2014 - Engines: GE CF34-8E5 turbo fan; GE CF34-8E5 turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Skywest Airlines Inc - Registered owner: Skywest Airlines Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: SFO, San Francisco, CA - Destination: Saint Louis, MO - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 47; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review January 18, 2017; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 9,059 total, 2,562 in this make and model, 222 in the last 90 days - Co-pilot; age 24; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review December 11, 2017; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 2,253 total, 15 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: -54 °F - Observed at: ATC ## 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 20171217024599A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171217024599A), Dec 17, 2017: Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR, St Louis, MO, No damage. ?12-18-17 - While enroute this flight encountered turbulence resulting in ff 47635 suffering a broken ankle. The ff was not able to take the jump seat for… ## 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=96503. 518 KB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 518 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9597160&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Final_NTSB_DCA18CA049LPedits-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.