DCA22LA125

NTSB accident investigation · Airbus Industrie A320-232 · Springfield, MO · May 25, 2022

Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
May 25, 2022, 01:10 UTC
Place
Springfield, MO
Injuries
1 serious, 150 uninjured
Damage
No damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N483UAAirbus Industrie A320-232
Defining event
Enroute: Turbulence encounter
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
NTSB office
Major Investigations Division
Parties
United Flight Safety
Case key
105167

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

The flight’s encounter with clear air moderate turbulence.

Findings · 3

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.

Turbulence: clear air turbulenceEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcomeAirbus Industrie A320-232: 2 casesAll aircraft: 78 cases
ActionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Cabin crewAirbus Industrie A320-232: 1 caseAll aircraft: 111 cases
Turbulence: clear air turbulenceEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnelAirbus Industrie A320-232: 2 casesAll aircraft: 78 cases

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

United Airlines flight 2197 experienced clear air moderate turbulence at flight level (FL) 350 while enroute to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Toronto, Canada. The flight was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Houston, Texas. As a result of the turbulence, one flight attendant experienced a serious injury to their wrist. The aircraft received no damage and continued to its destination without further incident. As stated by the first officer, dispatch remarks for this flight included a forecast for light to moderate turbulence over VORTACs BUM - JOT between FL310 - 390. The captain conducted a pre-departure briefing with the flight attendants which included the possibility of experiencing turbulence. About two hours into the flight, two flight attendants were in the last three rows of the aft cabin conducting in-flight service when light turbulence commenced. The two flight attendants decided to “bring the cart back into the galley to finish the service.” As they were pushing back into the galley, the turbulence intensified, and one of the two flight attendants asked the other to sit down in their jump seat while the other set the brake on the cart. As the flight attendant was securing the cart, the captain made an announcement asking the flight attendants to take their seats. At that time, the flight attendant who was securing the cart lost their footing and fell back where the other flight attendant had taken their seat. The seated flight attendant attempted to brace the falling flight attendant and injured their wrist. The captain stated that this instance of turbulence lasted about 15 seconds. In addition, he reported that that the seatbelt sign had been on for five minutes prior to this moderate turbulence as the aircraft flew through light turbulence earlier in the flight. The injured flight attendant was treated by an onboard doctor, and the flight proceeded to its destination without further incident. Upon arrival to Toronto, paramedics met the airplane. The flight attendant was taken for x-rays and diagnosed with a broken bone in their wrist.

Aircraft

Registration
N483UA
Reported as
Airbus Industrie A320-232
Category
Airplane
Serial number
1586
Built
2001
Airframe hours
63,348
Engines
IAE V2527-A5, 27,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanIAE V2527-A5, 27,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
Damage
No damage
Flight
Part 121
Operator
United Airlines
Registered owner
Wells Fargo Trust Co Na Trustee
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Transport
Last inspection
Continuous airworthiness · June 8, 2022
Departed
IAH · Houston, TX
Destination
YYZ · Toronto, OF
Flight plan
IFR
Equipment
ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder

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 · 3

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
54
Injuries
None
Certificates
Airline transport, Flight engineer
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
September 20, 2021
Seat
Left
Restraint
5-point
Flight hours
18,600 total · 3,800 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 163 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Role
Co-pilot
Age
44
Injuries
None
Certificates
Airline transport, Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
February 22, 2022
Seat
Right
Restraint
5-point
Flight hours
6,000 total · 639 in this make and model · 2,300 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 82 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Role
Cabin crew
Injuries
Serious
Restraint
5-point

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night
Lowest ceiling
None

Docket · 8

The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 1, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.3 MB in all.