- Date
- December 24, 2022
- Place
- Miami, FL
- NTSB coordinates
- 24.2800, -74.3800, outside the stated state
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 12 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N456FXGulfstream Aerospace GIV-X (G450)
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: 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
- FAA report
- 20221224020209A
- Case key
- 106510
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 unanticipated encounter with convective induced turbulence from developing cumulus clouds below the flight path, which produced strong updrafts and downdrafts.
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.
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
A Gulfstream 450 airplane encountered turbulence while in level cruise flight at 36,000 ft. and a cabin server (CS) fractured her arm and leg. The flight crew reported that after departure, while climbing through 20,000 ft, they encountered unexpected light turbulence, and the seatbelt sign was illuminated. About 30 minutes into the flight at a cruising altitude of 36,000 ft (FL360) in visual meteorological conditions with the autopilot engaged, the copilot noticed a cloud top “rising up” from under the nose of the airplane. The airplane “pitched up and down rapidly with a hard jolt;” however, the autopilot did not disengage, and the airplane returned to normal flight. A passenger notified the flight crew of injuries to the CS. At the time of the turbulence event, the CS was in the aft galley taking catering notes, when she felt a rising sensation. She attempted to get low to the floor in case turbulence was encountered. While looking over her shoulder to check on the passenger cabin, she was thrown into the air and “hurled” to the floor impacting on her left shoulder, arm, and hip. Upon being notified of the injury, the flight crew declared an emergency and diverted to Miami for medical assistance. The injured CS was transported to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured left arm and multiple fractures to her left leg. At the time of the turbulence encounter there were no active convective significant meteorological information (SIGMETs), international SIGMETs, center weather advisories (CWAs) or pilot reports (PIREPs) for the area where the turbulence occurred.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N456FX
- Reported as
- Gulfstream Aerospace GIV-X (G450)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4132
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 9,568.9
- Engines
- Rolls-Royc TAY 611-8C, 13,850 lbs thrust, turbo fanRolls-Royc TAY 611-8C, 13,850 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Flexjet LLC
- Registered owner
- Flexjet LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 10, 2022
- Departed
- Providenciales, OF
- Destination
- March Harbour, OF
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Data recorder, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Heads up display, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system
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
- Check pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- November 12, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 16,450 total · 2,150 in this make and model · 12,000 as pilot in command · 133 in the last 90 days · 73 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 7, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 4,665 total · 83 in this make and model · 1,975 as pilot in command · 109 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.