- Date
- July 17, 2025, 10:53 local (14:53 UTC)
- Place
- Germantown, KY
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 81 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N330PQBombardier CL-600-2D24
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 23, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Parties
- Endeavor Air, Inc., FAA AVP
- Case key
- 200627
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 inadvertent encounter with severe turbulence during descent.
Findings · 4
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
Endeavor Air flight 4985 encountered severe turbulence while descending through 17,400 feet to Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), after which a passenger reported a serious injury after seeking follow-up medical care. The flight crew reported that the fasten seat belt sign was illuminated, and a public address (PA) announcement had been made instructing passengers to fasten their seat belts and remain seated. As the aircraft descended through about 17,400 feet, the pilots observed a cumulus cloud directly ahead that had not been displayed on the airplane’s weather radar as moderate or severe returns. The captain reduced the descent rate and continued through the top of the cloud, when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence. At the time of the turbulence encounter, the two flight attendants (FAs) were conducting final cabin safety checks. During the event, both FAs were lifted into the air and thrown to the floor, with one FA striking their head on the ceiling of the aircraft. Following the turbulence, both FAs returned to their assigned jump seats and secured their safety harnesses, while checking on passengers. A public address (PA) announcement was made instructing passengers to “please take your seat and fasten your seatbelt,” followed by a second announcement advising passengers to press their call button if they required assistance. Two passengers activated their call buttons and reported striking their heads on the ceiling during the turbulence encounter. Upon arrival at the gate, medical personnel met the aircraft. After evaluation, both passengers were released. Endeavor Air received an unverified report following the flight that one passenger sought further medical treatment and was subsequently diagnosed with a serious injury. At the time of the turbulence encounter there was no active significant meteorological information (SIGMETs), convective SIGMETs, airman’s meteorological information (AIRMETs), or pilot reports (PIREPs) of any significant turbulence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N330PQ
- Reported as
- Bombardier CL-600-2D24
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15330
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 23,830
- Engines
- GE CF34-8C5, 14,510 lbs thrust, turbo fanGE CF34-8C5, 14,510 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Endeavor Air, doing business as Delta Connection
- Registered owner
- Delta Air Lines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Commuter
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · July 10, 2025
- Departed
- JFK · New York, NY
- Destination
- CVG · Hebron, KY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder, Auto-pilot
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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 10, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 2,861.5 total · 1,209.4 in this make and model · 1,709.3 as pilot in command · 243 in the last 90 days · 81 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 20, 2025
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,301.5 total · 299 in this make and model · 941.3 as pilot in command · 239.3 in the last 90 days · 82 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 11.5 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Turbulence
- Severe
- Observed at
- KCVG, 39 nm away
- METAR
- Convective SIGMET WSUS31 KKCI 171355 SIGE CONVECTIVE SIGMET 87E VALID UNTIL 1555Z OH KY IN FROM 60W HNN-70NNE LOZ-40E IIU-30SW CVG-60W HNN AREA TS MOV FROM 26020KT. TOPS TO FL300.
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 23, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 MB in all.