DEN03LA063

NTSB accident investigation · Airbus Industrie A319-111 · Pueblo, CO · April 6, 2003

Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
April 5, 2003, 20:15 local (Apr 6, 2003, 03:15 UTC)
Place
Pueblo, CO
Injuries
1 serious, 1 minor, 62 uninjured
Damage
No damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N917FRAirbus Industrie A319-111
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Status
Completed · report February 5, 2004
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Denver, CO
FAA report
20030405005349A
Case key
56763

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

in-flight encounter with turbulence.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

In flight encounter with weatherClimb - to cruise
Weather condition - turbulenceCause

Analysis

The captain stated that the airplane was climbing when they encountered light turbulence at 22,000 feet. One of the pilots called to the flight attendants and asked them to sit down. According to the captain, 30 to 60 seconds later the airplane encountered severe turbulence. One flight attendant fractured two metatarsal bones in her left foot, and another flight attendant received minor injuries. The airplane returned to the airport without further incident.

Factual narrative

0n April 5, 2003, at approximately 2015 mountain standard time, an Airbus Industrie A319-111, N917FR, owned by Frontier Airlines, Inc., and operating as flight 133, encountered turbulence near Pueblo, Colorado. The captain, first officer, one flight attendant, and 59 passengers were not injured. However, one flight attendant was seriously injured and one received minor injuries. The airplane was not damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The scheduled domestic passenger flight was being operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 121. The flight originated at 1945 from Denver, Colorado, and was en route to Dallas, Texas.

The captain stated that the airplane was climbing when they encountered light turbulence at 22,000 feet over Pueblo, Colorado. One of the pilots called to the flight attendants and asked them to sit down. According to the captain, 30 to 60 seconds later the airplane encountered severe turbulence. One flight attendant fractured two metatarsal bones in her left foot, and another flight attendant received minor injuries. The airplane returned to Denver without further incident.

The weather packet, issued by the company and ATC reported that nothing more than light turbulence was to be expected. There were no returns on the radar in the immediate vicinity of Pueblo, Colorado.

Aircraft

Registration
N917FR
Reported as
Airbus Industrie A319-111
Category
Airplane
Serial number
1890
Airframe hours
590.4
Engines
General Electric CFM56-5B 5/P, 22,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanGeneral Electric CFM56-5B 5/P, 22,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
Damage
No damage
Flight
Part 121
Registered owner
Frontier Airlines Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Transport
Last inspection
Continuous airworthiness · April 3, 2003 · 18.6 hours before
Departed
DEN · Denver, CO
Destination
DFW · Dallas, TX
Flight plan
IFR

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
34
Injuries
None
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Last flight review
October 27, 2002
Seat
Right
Flight hours
7,988 total · 320 in this make and model
Role
Co-pilot
Age
37
Injuries
None
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Last flight review
March 12, 2002
Seat
Left
Flight hours
7,069 total · 25 in this make and model · 84 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Wind
70° at 20 knots, gusting 25
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
9,000 ft overcast
Temperature
43 °F, dew point 30 °F
Altimeter
29.72 inHg
Observed at
PUB

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.