# NTSB DCA20CA043: Embraer ERJ190, N959UW, Disputanta, VA, December 18, 2019

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report
- Date: December 18, 2019, 11:09 local (16:09 UTC)
- Place: Disputanta, VA
- Coordinates: 37.913887, -77.141113 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.9139&lon=-77.1411&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, 47 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): 100713
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA20CA043
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/100713/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100713
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA20CA043

## Probable cause

an encounter with clear air turbulence during cruise flight.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Turbulence: clear air turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032015): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032015/cases.md?model=3260408), [All aircraft, 78 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032015/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: [Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=3260408), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md)

## Analysis

On December 18, 2019, at about 1109 EST, American Airlines flight 2247, an Embraer ERJ190, N959UW, encountered turbulence while enroute to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (KRDU), Morrisville, North Carolina. Of the 48 passengers and crew onboard, one flight attendant received a serious injury. The flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 121 as a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from LaGuardia Airport (KLGA), Queens, New York, to KRDU. According to the flight crew, the flight was in cruise at flight level (FL) 200 with the seatbelt sign off because air traffic control had reported all pilot reports (PIREPs) as "smooth" and "no complaints". About one hour into the flight, they encountered a brief duration of "light to moderate chop" and illuminated the seatbelt sign. The flight crew requested a descent to FL180. The seatbelt sign was extinguished after the flight reached FL180 since the skies were clear, they were experiencing a smooth ride, and there were no pilot reports of turbulence. A short time later, the flight encountered "light to moderate chop" turbulence that lasted 20 seconds to a minute. The flight crew then received a call from the cabin advising them that a flight attendant (FA) had been injured. At the time of the second turbulence event, the FAs were conducting drink service in the cabin and the FA in the aft cabin was thrown to the floor, injuring her foot. One nonrevenue crew member described the turbulence encountered as “moderate to severe”. The injured FA was transferred to a passenger seat for the remainder of the flight. Upon being notified of the injury, the flight crew declared a medical emergency and request paramedics meet the flight at the gate. After landing the FA was transported to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured foot. Post accident examination of the weather data determined that the airplane was passing through the lower boundary of a strong jet stream that was associated with significant shear. Moderate turbulence had been forecasted for the area of the encounter and there were no previous PIREPs of severe turbulence.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N959UW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N959UW-2022-04-11), registration cancelled 2022-04-11, S/N 19000166, built 2008 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Embraer ERJ190 (100IGW)
- Registry model: [Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-erj-190-100-igw) (registry code 3260408) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [GE CF34-10E6](https://openairdocs.org/engine/ge-cf34-10e6) (registry code 30023, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 19000166
- Year built: 2008
- Airframe hours: 27232
- Engines: General Electric CF34-10E6 turbo fan; General Electric CF34-10E6 turbo fan
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Operator: American Airlines Inc, doing business as American Airlines
- Registered owner: American Airlines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, November 4, 2019
- Departed: LGA/, Queens, NY
- Destination: RDU/, Morrisville, NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Equipment: Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, Data recorder, ADS-B

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Incident 20191218024149I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191218024149I), Dec 18, 2019: Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW, Morrisville, NC, No damage. Flight crew reported turbulence at 30,000 south of richmind VA. Cabin crew member reported losing balance & landed on foot incorrectly. Flight crew declared…

## Docket (22 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 13, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100713. 31.5 MB in all.

- Weather study (item 1, PDF, 14 pages, 2.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9509631&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=WX_DCA20CA043_Study_redacted-Rel.pdf
- Attachment 1 to the weather study (item 2, PDF, 13 pages, 3.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9509323&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=WX_DCA20CA043%20_Attachment_1-Rel.pdf
- Zdc_cwsu_predutyvideowxbrefing_20191218_1045Z__the filenameiscorrecttimenottheslideoraudio (item 3, MP4, 2.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9509901&FileExtension=mp4&FileName=ZDC_CWSU_predutyvideowxbrefing_20191218_1045Z__The%20FileNameIsCorrectTimeNotTheSlideOrAudio-Rel.mp4
- Operational factors/human performance group factual report (item 4, PDF, 48 pages, 499 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10097154&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA20CA043%20-%20Ops%20HP%20Group%20Report%20FINAL-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 1 - crew statements (item 5, PDF, 6 pages, 150 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11653914&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%201%20-%20Crew%20Statements-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 2 - flight crew training records [excerpts] (item 6, PDF, 20 pages, 848 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9930807&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%202%20-%20Flight%20Crew%20Training%20Records%20%5BExcerpts%5D_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 3 - flight crew schedules (item 7, PDF, 7 pages, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9931001&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%203%20-%20Flight%20Crew%20Schedules_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 4 - American airlines personnel interview transcripts (item 8, PDF, 274 pages, 474 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9930565&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%204%20-%20American%20Airlines%20Personnel%20Interview%20Transcripts_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 5 - accident flight paperwork (item 9, PDF, 46 pages, 196 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9930877&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%205%20-%20Accident%20Flight%20Paperwork_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 6 - accident flight acars transmissions [excerpts] (item 10, PDF, 20 pages, 281 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9929515&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%206%20-%20Accident%20Flight%20ACARS%20Transmissions%20%5BExcerpt%5D_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 7 - American airlines operations manual vols 1 & 2 [excerpts] (item 11, PDF, 32 pages, 578 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9929524&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%207%20-%20Operations%20Manuals%20Vols%201%20and%202%20%20%5BExcerpts%5D-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 8 -American airlines flight operations manual [excerpts] (item 12, PDF, 47 pages, 565 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9930049&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%208%20-%20Flight%20Operations%20Manuals%20%5BExcerpts%5D-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 9 - American airlines flight operations bulletin 17-007B (item 13, PDF, 19 pages, 3.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9930886&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%209%20-%20American%20Airlines%20Flight%20Operations%20Bulletin%2017-007B-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 10 - American airlines inflight manual [excerpts] (item 14, PDF, 21 pages, 217 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9930058&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%2010%20American%20Airlines%20Inflight%20Manual%20%5BExcerpts%5D-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 11 - American airlines dispatch procedures manual [excerpts] (item 15, PDF, 13 pages, 190 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9930713&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%2011%20-%20American%20Airlines%20Dispatch%20Procedures%20Manual%20%5BExcerpt%5D-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 12 - American airlines weight and balance manual [excerpt] (item 16, PDF, 3 pages, 143 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9930895&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%2012%20-%20American%20Airlines%20Weight%20and%20Balance%20Manual%20%5BExcerpt%5D-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 13 - American airlines post accident weather report (item 17, PDF, 17 pages, 622 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9931118&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%2013%20-%20American%20Airlines%20Postaccident%20Weather%20Review_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 14 - archived pireps (item 18, CSV, 58 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9930722&FileExtension=csv&FileName=Archived%20PIREP-Rel.csv
- Operational factors/human performance attachment 15 - group party form (item 19, PDF, 18 pages, 467 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9931026&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attachment%2015%20%20-%20Operational%20Factors%20Human%20Performance%20Group%20Party%20Forms_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Cockpit voice recorder - specialista��s factual report (item 20, PDF, 2 pages, 20 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10016255&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA20CA043%20CVR-Rel.pdf
- Flight data recorder - specialista��s factual report (item 21, PDF, 8 pages, 4 photos, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11422786&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA20CA043%20FDR-Rel.pdf
- Flight data recorder - attachment 1 (FDR tabular data for event flight) (item 22, CSV, 10.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11423544&FileExtension=csv&FileName=Attachment1-Rel.csv

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.