- Date
- August 21, 2021, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chicago, IL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 119 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N806AWAirbus 319-132
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 103756
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 encounter with clear air turbulence.
Findings · 2
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
American Airlines flight 2760 encountered turbulence while descending through 7,000 ft to land at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, Illinois, and a flight attendant fractured her kneecap. The captain was the pilot flying and the first officer was monitoring. The flight was in day visual meteorological conditions (VMC), and the weather radar was on, with no signs of convective activity ahead. The captain made the announcement to the cabin crew to prepare for landing and the seatbelt sign was illuminated. The flight crew stated that ATC informed them that between HIHRY and RINNO intersections there were reports of moderate turbulence. The captain called the No. 1 flight attendant to inform her that in five minutes there was the possibility of turbulence, “likely moderate chop”, and for her to inform the rest of the cabin crew. At 7000 ft the flight encountered about 2 to 3 brief moments of moderate turbulence, but the remainder of the flight was smooth. While taxiing to the gate the flight crew was informed that the No. 1 flight attendant, who had been walking through the aisle to prepare for landing, had fallen to her knees because of the turbulence. The flight attendant was taken to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured kneecap.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N806AW
- Reported as
- Airbus 319-132
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1056
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- American Airlines
- Registered owner
- American Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- SAT · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- ORD · Chicago, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 14, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 28,100 total · 7,865 in this make and model · 3,100 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 46 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 2, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 12,143 total · 3,784 in this make and model · 197 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 87 °F, dew point 69 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 20, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 MB in all.