- Date
- February 24, 2018, 12:58 local (18:58 UTC)
- Place
- Minneapolis, MN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor, 295 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N817NWAirbus A330 323
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 8, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 96802
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
an inadvertent encounter with clear air 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.
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 February 24, 2018, at about 1258 central standard time, Delta Air Lines flight 2023, an Airbus A330-323, N817NW, encountered turbulence while descending enroute to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), Minneapolis, Minnesota. Of the 298 passengers and crew onboard, one flight attendant sustained serious injuries and two flight attendants sustained minor injuries. The airplane was not damaged. The flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Orlando International Airport (MCO), Orlando, Florida, to MSP. According to the flight crew, air traffic control indicated that there were no pilot reports of significant turbulence from preceding airplanes along their descent route. However, the flight encountered severe turbulence as it was descending through about flight level 200. The seatbelt sign was illuminated. When the turbulence was encountered, the flight attendants were beginning their cabin preparations for landing and the flight attendants were thrown to the floor. One flight attendant was thrown against the 4R door, striking her head and back. After landing, the injured flight attendant was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with a fractured vertebrae.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N817NW
- Reported as
- Airbus A330 323 (323)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0843
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 49,218
- Engines
- P & W PW4168A, 68,600 lbs thrust, turbo fanP & W PW4168A, 68,600 horsepower, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Delta Air Lines
- Registered owner
- Delta Air Lines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 23, 2018
- Departed
- MCO · Orlando, FL
- Destination
- MSP · Minneapolis, MN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MSP · Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Data recorder, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Last flight review
- February 4, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 24,184 total · 7,181 in this make and model · 125 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Last flight review
- June 10, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 12,764 total · 3,137 in this make and model · 177 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KMSP
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 17, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 713 KB in all.
Other investigations on N817NW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.