- Date
- April 3, 2024, 07:33 local (11:33 UTC)
- Place
- Cecil, NC · Descending into AVL at 14000 ft
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 68 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N899ATBoeing 717-200
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Parties
- FAA, Delta Air Lines
- FAA report
- 20240403005049A
- Case key
- 194029
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 · 1
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
April 3rd, 2024, Delta flight 2763 encountered turbulence during descent into Ashville Regional Airport (AVL), Ashville, North Carolina, resulting in a serious injury to a flight attendant. The captain reported he recognized the flight might encounter turbulence since he had encountered it on his previous flight. He stated that during the preflight briefing he informed the cabin crew to remain seated because they were expecting rough air, and it was a short flight. The captain reported that the departure and cruise segments of the flight were smooth and uneventful. On descent, around 14,000 feet, the aircraft encountered moderate turbulence before going into a cloud layer. Following the encounter, the first officer called the lead flight attendant (FA) to ensure everyone was ok while the captain asked air traffic control (ATC) for a right turn to avoid an approaching cloud buildup. The lead FA first reported that everything was ok, however shortly after the initial call, she called again to report that one of the FAs might have a broken leg. The injured FA stated that she was seated in the back of the aircraft and completing her last safety check when the turbulence lifted her out of her seat, and she landed forcefully on her right leg. Another flight attendant hit her head on the ceiling and fell, hurting her lower back. The captain transferred flight and communication duties to the first officer while the captain coordinated paramedics for the arrival into AVL. The captain then reported the turbulence to ATC and reassumed flight duty. The aircraft landed and arrived at the gate with no further issues. The paramedics met the airplane at the gate, and the seriously injured flight attendant was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with multiple fractures in her right leg. Post accident weather analysis suggested that the turbulence was likely caused by windshear associated with an upper front. A pilot from a different flight had reported moderate turbulence between 11,000 and 8,000 feet in a nearby area. However, there were no active advisories for turbulence in the location where the accident aircraft encountered turbulence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N899AT
- Reported as
- Boeing 717-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 55049
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 43,171
- Engines
- Rolls-Royc BR715-C1, 21,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanRolls-Royc BR715-C1, 21,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Delta Air Lines, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Wells Fargo Trust Co Na Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 24, 2024
- Departed
- ATL · Atlanta, GA
- Destination
- AVL · Ashville, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Angle of attack indicator, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B
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 · 5
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Last flight review
- November 17, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,074 total · 227 in this make and model
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Last flight review
- October 14, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 766 in this make and model
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Rear
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Front
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- Serious
- Seat
- Rear
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 15, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.9 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.