# NTSB DCA22LA188: Boeing 737-824, N73270, Pharisburg, OH, August 19, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: August 19, 2022, 19:17 UTC - Place: Pharisburg, OH - Coordinates: 40.337574, -83.287203 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.3376&lon=-83.2872&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 169 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): 105801 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA22LA188 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/105801/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105801 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA22LA188 ## Probable cause The airplane’s 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: [Boeing 737-824, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md?model=13844BZ), [All aircraft, 145 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md) - [Turbulence: convective turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Awareness of condition; cases with it: [Boeing 737-824, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md?model=13844BZ), [All aircraft, 145 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020/cases.md) - [Knowledge: knowledge of meteorologic cond](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032020): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Flight crew; cases with it: [Boeing 737-824, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032020/cases.md?model=13844BZ), [All aircraft, 30 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) (defining event); cases with it: [Boeing 737-824, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=13844BZ), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md) ## Analysis United Airlines flight 1400 encountered turbulence near Pharisburg, Ohio during descent into John Glenn Columbus International Airport (KCMH), Columbus, Ohio. One flight attendant was injured during the turbulence encounter. The airplane was not damaged. The captain was the pilot flying, and the first officer was the pilot monitoring. According to the flight crew, the flight experienced turbulence during the climb out, and areas of moderate to light chop during the first half of the flight, and it then encountered smooth air. The remainder of the cruise portion of the flight was uneventful. The flight crew began the final descent utilizing an RNAV arrival. According to the flight crew, weather conditions for the arrival were visual flight rules (VFR), no pilot reports (PIREPS) of turbulence were relayed to the flight crew by air traffic control (ATC), and no turbulence was forecasted for the arrival in the flight release weather information. The flight crew stated that during the approach, when the flight was at an altitude of about 12,000 ft-msl, they observed a scattered cloud layer with tops at around 10,000 ft-msl and could see the airport through the scattered layer. The flight crew stated they contacted the flight attendants early at around 11,000 ft-msl for final cabin checks and illuminated the seatbelt sign, since they anticipated the potential for some chop at the cloud tops during the descent. When the flight leveled at 10,000 ft-msl in the cloud tops, it encountered two strong jolts of moderate turbulence within seconds of each other. The autopilot system did not disconnect during the encounter. The flight crew stated the duration from the initial bump, followed by the second bump, then exiting the clouds entirely was approximately 8 seconds, and the flight crew requested a lower altitude to exit the turbulence. During this descent from 10,000 ft msl, the flight crew received an interphone call from the purser, stating that a flight attendant at the rear of the cabin was injured and that two medical personnel onboard were assisting. The first officer made a PIREP to ATC regarding the turbulence, then coordinated with the airport operations and control tower to ensure that an ambulance would meet the flight at their arrival gate. The flight landed uneventfully, and the flight attendant was later diagnosed with a fractured ankle. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N73270](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N73270), registered now, S/N 31632, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BOEING 737-824 - Registry model: [Boeing 737-824](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-824) (registry code 13844BZ) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [CFM International CFM56 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/cfm-international-cfm56-series) (registry code 13802, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 31632 - Year built: 2001 - Engines: CFM INTL. CFM56 SERIES turbo fan; CFM INTL. CFM56 SERIES turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: United Airlines - Registered owner: Wells Fargo Trust Co Na Trustee - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: KDEN, Denver, CO - Destination: KCMH, Columbus, OH - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 58; injuries: none; flight engineer, commercial, private, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review July 31, 2022; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 37,244 total, 20,340 in this make and model, 15,227 as pilot in command, 250 in the last 90 days, 170 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 36; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review July 22, 2022; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 4,200 total, 1,720 in this make and model, 1,400 as pilot in command, 180 in the last 90 days, 60 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk - Lowest ceiling: none - Observed at: KCMH, 28 nm away ## Other investigations on N73270 (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 IAD05LA118](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD05LA118), Aug 8, 2005: Boeing 737-824 (N73270), Newark, NJ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The airport's failure to install markings on a parking "block" that bordered the taxiway, which failed to provide adequate clearance between taxiing airplanes and airplanes parked in the block.… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 19, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105801. 2.2 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15490922&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20Flight%201400%20DEN%20CMH%20August%2019%202022R1_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Captain's statement - ual flight 1400, 19 August 2022 (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 54 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15490932&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CA-NTSB%20Statement%20-%201400%20August%2019%202022-Rel.pdf - First officer's statement - ual flight 1400, 19 August 2022 (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 55 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15490737&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FO%20NTSB%20Statement%201400%20August%2019%202022-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. --- 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.