# NTSB DCA20CA038: Embraer EMB 135KL, N805AE, Alexandria, LA, December 16, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: December 16, 2019, 13:23 local (19:23 UTC) - Place: Alexandria, LA - Coordinates: 31.1075, -92.716392 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.1075&lon=-92.7164&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 38 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): 100698 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA20CA038 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/100698/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100698 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA20CA038 ## Probable cause an encounter with convectively induced turbulence while overflying an area of known convective activity. ## 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: [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: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md) ## Analysis On December 16, 2019 at about 13:23 CST, Envoy flight 3960, an EMB140, N805AE, encountered severe turbulence during cruise flight while enroute to Gainesville Regional Airport (KGNV), Gainesville, Florida. Of the 39 passengers and crew onboard, one passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was not damaged. The flight was operating under14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from Dallas-Ft Worth International Airport (KDFW), Dallas, Texas, to KGNV. According to the flight crew, as the flight was cruising at flight level (FL) 370 in visual meteorological conditions, they could see convective activity ahead. Air traffic control informed them that pilot reports along their route of flight had reported "nothing worse than moderate chop" with one report of "severe turbulence" from a CRJ that was an hour old. About 50 miles from GNV, the captain made an announcement to the passengers about impeding weather and possible turbulence and requested that the flight attendant (FA) take her seat. The seat belt sign was illuminated. As the flight approached the weather, the first officer (FO), who was the pilot flying, began to maneuver around several cells visually. The airplane radar did not show any returns. Upon entering visible moisture, moderate rain and turbulence began immediately but increased rapidly in intensity. Airspeed and altitude began fluctuating rapidly and upon receiving an over speed warning, the FO retarded the thrust levers to idle and deployed the speed brakes. Large fluctuations in vertical speed continued to occur and the autopilot automatically disengaged simultaneously with stick shaker activation. EICAS displayed AUTOPILOT FAIL and YAW DAMPER FAIL. Shortly after, the FO returned the airplane to a normal flight condition and returned to FL 370. The captain informed ATC that the flight had encountered severe turbulence and then contacted the FA to check on if there were any injuries. At that time, the FA reported no injuries; however, approximately 5 minutes later the captain was informed that a passenger had been injured. According to the FA and deadheading crewmembers, all passengers and the FA were seated with their seatbelts fastened when the turbulence was encountered. After the turbulence stopped, drinks covered the walls and ceiling, and magazines and electronic devices were located multiple rows from their original location. The injured passenger indicated that her seatbelt, with extender, was fastened, however, she had hit her head “pretty hard” and had back and neck pain. The captain notified dispatch and ATC of the injury and requested that paramedics meet the airplane at the gate. After landing the injured passenger was transported to a local hospital and diagnosed with two small neck fractures. Post accident examination of the weather data determined that the flight encountered convectively induced turbulence after penetrating cumulonimbus clouds, with tops nearFL400, while attempting to overfly a large area of known convection. In the area of the encounter, Weather Surveillance Radar depicted extreme echoes at lower altitudes with lighter echoes at the airplane’s altitude, with lightning in the vicinity. The National Weather Service (NWS) Convective Outlook had warned of a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms over the area. In addition, there was a NWS tornado watch and a Convective SIGMET current for severe embedded thunderstorms in the area. ## Aircraft - Registration: N805AE (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Embraer EMB 135KL (KE) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 145489 - Year built: 2001 - Engines: Rolls-Royc AE3007 SER; Rolls-Royc AE3007 SER - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Envoy Air Inc, doing business as American Eagle - Registered owner: American Airlines Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: KDFW, Dallas, TX - Destination: KGNV, Gainesville, FL - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 28; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 3,300 total, 1,677 in this make and model - Co-pilot; age 37; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 7,171 total, 1,018 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Turbulence: Severe ## Docket (12 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 13, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100698. 45.6 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 3.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9336660&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20Form%206120-1%20Form%20Submission%20for%20Envoy%20Flight%203960%20DFW%20to%20GNV%20December%2016,%202019-Rel.pdf - Weather study (item 2, PDF, 46 pages, 3.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10080233&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA20CA038%20-%20Alexandria,%20LA%20(Envoy%20Air)%20Turbulence-Rel.pdf - Meteorology attachment 1 - ncar gtg and gtgn products (item 3, PDF, 13 pages, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9510614&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%201%20-%20NCAR%20GTG%20and%20GTGN%20Products-Rel.pdf - Meteorology attachment 2 - flight release and weather document (item 4, PDF, 28 pages, 89 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9510843&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Cover%20Sheet%20Attachmnet%202%20DCA20CA038%20REDAC-Rel.pdf - Operational factors attachment 1 - pilot statements (item 5, PDF, 7 pages, 458 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10067634&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%201%20-%20Pilot%20Statements_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Operational factors attachment 2 - flight attendant statements (item 6, PDF, 3 pages, 71 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10067819&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%202%20-%20Flight%20Attendant%20Statements_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Operational factors attachment 3 - envoy dispatch statements (item 7, PDF, 3 pages, 121 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10067383&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%203%20-%20Envoy%20Dispatch%20Statements_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Operational factors attachment 4 - accident flight dispatch release (item 8, PDF, 21 pages, 232 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10068075&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%204%20-%20Accident%20Flight%20Dispatch%20Release_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Operational factors attachment 5 - airplane operations manual [excerpts] (item 9, PDF, 18 pages, 401 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10066467&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%205%20-%20Airplane%20Operations%20Manual%20Vol%201%20%5BExcerpts%5D-Rel.pdf - Operational factors attachment 6 - flight operations manual [excerpt] (item 10, PDF, 40 pages, 323 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10067828&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%206%20-%20Flight%20Operations%20Manual%20%5BExcerpt%5D-Rel.pdf - Operational factors attachment 7 - archieved PIREP (item 11, CSV, 90 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10066476&FileExtension=csv&FileName=Attachment%207%20-%20Archieved%20PIREP-Rel.csv - Operational factors attachment 8 - flight 3960 wsi playback (item 12, MP4, 35.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10067392&FileExtension=mp4&FileName=Attachment%208%20-%20Flight%203960%20WSI-Rel.mp4 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.