# NTSB DCA19CA213: Airbus A319, N515NK, Fort Myers, FL, September 6, 2019

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report
- Date: September 6, 2019, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place: Fort Myers, FL
- Coordinates: 27.249166, -81.277778
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.2492&lon=-81.2778&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, 107 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): 100265
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA19CA213
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/100265/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100265
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA19CA213

## Probable cause

an encounter with convectively induced turbulence associated with towering cumulus clouds during descent.

## 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 A319-132, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md?model=3940015), [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: [Airbus A319-132, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=3940015), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md)

## Analysis

On September 6, 2019, about 1600 EDT, Spirit Airlines flight 967, an Airbus A319, N515NK, encountered turbulence during descent into Fort Myers Southwest Florida Airport (KRSW), Fort Myers, Florida. Of the108 passengers and crew onboard, one flight attendant received serious injuries. 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 the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (KCLE), Cleveland, Ohio to KRSW. According to the flight crew, the flight was descending through about 12,000 feet when the captain made the arrival announcement on the public address system (PA) “in anticipation of encountering turbulence due to a scattered layer of cumulous clouds.” The seat belt sign was illuminated. According to the flight attendants (FA), the turbulence was encountered shortly after the captain’s PA, while the flight attendants were conducting final compliance checks in the cabin. One of the aft flight attendants fell to the floor during the encounter. She was unable to return to her jumpseat due to her injury and was assisted to a passenger seat in the aft cabin for landing. The flight crew was notified of the FAs injury and requested that paramedics meet the airplane at the gate. After landing, the injured FA was transported to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured ankle. Post accident examination of the weather data determined that the turbulence occurred during day visual meteorological conditions when the airplane entered scattered cumulus congestus clouds (towering cumulus) associated with heavy rain showers and a sea breeze front. There was no lightning detected, pilot reports (PIREPs), or inflight weather advisories current for the area.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N515NK](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N515NK-2024-05-16), registration cancelled 2024-05-16, S/N 2698, built 2006 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Airbus A319 (132)
- Registry model: [Airbus A319-132](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-a319-132) (registry code 3940015) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [IAE V2524-A5](https://openairdocs.org/engine/iae-v2524-a5) (registry code 34608, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 02698
- Year built: 2006
- Engines: Iae V2524-A5 9895 horsepower turbo fan; Iae V2524-A5 9895 horsepower turbo fan
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Operator: Spirit Airlines Inc
- Registered owner: Spirit Airlines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Departed: KCLE, Cleveland, OH
- Destination: KRSW, Fort Myers, FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Equipment: Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, Data recorder, Electronic flight bag or handheld device

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Visibility: 10 statute miles

## Docket (8 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 13, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100265. 5.0 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 490 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9648184&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_1%20Updated%2009-24-2019-Rel.pdf
- Weather study (item 2, PDF, 27 pages, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9044043&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA19CA213%20-%20Fort%20Myers,%20FL%20Spirit%20Airlines%20Turbulence-Rel.pdf
- Meteorology attachment 1 - ncar gtg-n imagery (item 3, PDF, 18 pages, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9043961&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%201%20-%20NCAR%20GTG-N%20imagery-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors (item 4, PDF, 21 pages, 418 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10023757&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA19CA213%20%20Factual%20Final%20pdf.-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors attachment 1 (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 67 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10023922&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA19CA213%20Spirit%20Turb%20Report%20Attachment%201_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors-attachment 2 dispatch release (item 6, PDF, 10 pages, 145 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10025958&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%202%20Dispatch%20Release%20DCA19CA213-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors attachment 3 final weather briefing (item 7, PDF, 3 pages, 49 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10026266&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%203%20Final%20Weather%20Briefing%20DCA19CA213-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors attachment 4 spirit airlines newsletter on turbulance (item 8, PDF, 2 pages, 514 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10026475&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA19CA214%20Attachment%204%20Spirit%20Airlines%20Newsletter%20on%20Turbulence_Redacted-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.

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