# NTSB DCA20CA040: Embraer EMB145, N648AE, Philadelphia, PA, December 15, 2019

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report
- Date: December 15, 2019, 06:27 local (11:27 UTC)
- Place: Philadelphia, PA
- Coordinates: 39.872222, -75.240554
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8722&lon=-75.2406&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Approach: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 40 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): 100704
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA20CA040
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/100704/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100704
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA20CA040

## Probable cause

An inadvertent 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 EMB-145LR, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md?model=3260212), [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.

- [Approach: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) (defining event); cases with it: [Embraer EMB-145LR, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=3260212), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md)

## Analysis

On December 15, 2019, about 0627 eastern standard time, Piedmont Airlines flight 4797, an Embraer EMB-145LR, N648AE, encountered turbulence while on approach to land at Philadelphia International Airport (KPHL), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 38 passengers and 3 crew members onboard, the flight attendant was seriously injured. The airplane was not damaged. The regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from Columbia Metropolitan Airport (KCAE), Columbia, South Carolina. The captain was the pilot flying, and the first officer was monitoring. As the flight approached KPHL, the first officer made a public address announcement to the flight attendant to prepare the cabin for arrival. While descending through about 10,000 feet for the visual approach to runway 35, the crew noted a cloud layer below them and, in order to transit the cloud layer quickly, the captain increased the descent from about 1,000 feet per minute (fpm) to about 1,300 fpm. When the airplane entered the cloud layer at about 7, 00 feet, it encountered moderate turbulence along with icing conditions. The captain stated that to prevent an overspeed and mitigate turbulence effects, he immediately reduced the thrust to idle and inadvertently pressed the autopilot disconnect button instead of the Touch Control Steering (TCS) button, which he had intended to activate in order to manually raise the airplanes nose. He stated he maintained control of the airplane, eased the nose up to level flight, and immediately reengaged the autopilot. The crew stated the turbulence lasted about 25 to 30 seconds. At the time of the turbulence encounter, the flight attendant (FA) was in the aisle conducting her before landing compliance checks. She was at the rear of the cabin turning around when she was thrown to the floor, injuring her ankle. Medically qualified passengers assisted the FA with the injury and another passenger manned the FA’s jumpseat during landing. Emergency medical personnel met the airplane at the gate and transported the FA to the local hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured ankle.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N648AE](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N648AE), registered now, S/N 145225, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Embraer EMB145 (LR)
- Registry model: [Embraer EMB-145LR](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-emb-145lr) (registry code 3260212) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Allison AE-3007A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-ae-3007a) (registry code 03030, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 145225
- Year built: 2000
- Engines: Allison AE 3007A 3035 horsepower; Allison AE 3007A 3035 horsepower
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Operator: Piedmont Airlines
- Registered owner: American Airlines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Departed: KCAE, Columbia, SC
- Destination: KPHL, Philadelphia, PA
- Flight plan: IFR

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 31; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 2,899 total, 1,383 in this make and model
- Co-pilot; age 27; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 2,402 total, 758 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dawn
- Wind: 240° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 19,000 ft overcast
- Temperature: 43 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observed at: KPHL

## 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 20191215018849A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191215018849A), Dec 15, 2019: Embraer EMB-145LR, Philadelphia, PA, No damage. During descent the aircraft experienced turbulence. The flight attendant was collecting trash and broke her leg during a downdraft.

## Other investigations on N648AE (1)

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.

- [NTSB DFW07IA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW07IA077), Feb 24, 2007: Embraer EMB-145LR (N648AE), Dallas, TX, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while landing with a crosswind. A contributing factor was the prevailing crosswind.

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 6, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100704. 1.0 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 and capt statement (item 1, PDF, 14 pages, 937 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12219360&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA20CA040%20-NTSB%206120_1%20Flight%20Attendant%20Injury%2012-15-19%20(002)_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Employee statements - fo statement (item 2, PDF, 6 pages, 77 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12219254&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA20CA040%20NTSB%20Statement-%20Turk%20Hetey_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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