# NTSB DEN03LA094: Airbus Industrie A319-111, N910FR, Denver, CO, June 3, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 2, 2003, 20:29 local (Jun 3, 2003, 02:29 UTC) - Place: Denver, CO - Coordinates: 39.863887, -104.667221 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8639&lon=-104.6672&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 101 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 5, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Denver FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 57127 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN03LA094 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/57127/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA094 ## Probable cause the inflight encounter with severe turbulence. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, descent - normal - weather condition - turbulence(thunderstorms) (cause) ## Analysis The flight had just left a holding pattern, southeast of the airport. The pilot made the announcement for passengers and flight attendents to take their seats. Descending through approximately 11,000 feet msl, the flight encountered turbulence. A flight attendant was stowing a beverage cart and was thrown up in the air, fell and fractured her left ankle. The automated weather observation at the Denver airport reported occasional lightning in-cloud, distant southeast; thunderstorm moving southeast; virga distant northeast thru southeast thru south of the station; cumulonimbus clouds distant northeast thru southeast thru south, moving southeast; rain showers in the distant southeast. Aviation Routine Weather Report report taken at 2053 reported winds were from 160 degrees at 13 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; few clouds at 7500 feet agl; scattered clouds at 12,000 feet; agl, broken clouds at 15,000 feet agl; temperature 13 degrees Celsius; dewpoint 9 degrees Celsius; altimeter setting 29.93; virga distant east and south of the station; cumulonimbus clouds distant east and south, moving southeast. ## Factual narrative On June 2, 2003, at 2029 mountain daylight time, an Airbus Industrie A319-111, N910FR, owned by Frontier Airlines, Inc., and operated as flight 045, encountered turbulence during final approach into Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado. The airline transport certificated captain and first officer, 2 flight attendants, and 97 passengers were not injured; however, 1 flight attendant was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. An IFR flight plan had been filed for the scheduled domestic passenger flight being operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 121. The flight originated in Cancun, Mexico, at approximately 1553. According to a Frontier Airlines representative, the flight had been holding southeast of DEN due to thunderstorms in the area. The flight has just left the holding pattern. The pilot made the announcement for passengers and flight attendants to take their seats. Descending through approximately 11,000 feet msl, the flight encountered turbulence. A flight attendant was stowing a beverage cart and was thrown up in the air, fell and fractured her left ankle. At 1953 the METAR (automated weather observation) at DEN reported occasional lightning in-cloud, distant southeast; thunderstorm moving southeast; virga distant northeast thru southeast thru south of the station; cumulonimbus clouds distant northeast thru southeast thru south, moving southeast; rain showers in the distant southeast. Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) report taken at 2053 reported winds were from 160 degrees at 13 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; few clouds at 7500 feet agl; scattered clouds at 12,000 feet; agl, broken clouds at 15,000 feet agl; temperature 13 degrees Celsius; dewpoint 9 degrees Celsius; altimeter setting 29.93; virga distant east and south of the station; cumulonimbus clouds distant east and south, moving southeast. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N910FR](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N910FR), registered now, S/N 1781, built 2002 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Airbus Industrie A319-111 - Registry model: [Airbus A319-112](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-a319-112) (registry code 3940009) (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: 1781 - Airframe hours: 3012.2 - Engines: General Electric CFM 56-5B 5/P 22000 lbs thrust turbo fan; General Electric CFM 56-5B 5/P 22000 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: Frontier Airlines Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, June 1, 2003, 18.9 hours before - Departed: MMUN, Cancun - Destination: DEN, Denver, CO - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: DEN, Denver International Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 36; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review May 13, 2003; seat: left; flight hours: 4,598 total, 450 in this make and model - Co-pilot; age 33; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review April 26, 2003; seat: right; flight hours: 4,700 total, 43 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk - Wind: 160° at 13 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 15,000 ft broken - Temperature: 55 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 29.93 inHg - Observed at: DEN ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030603012369A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030603012369A), Jun 3, 2003: Airbus A319111, Hugo, CO. (-23) Flight 045, an Airbus A-319-111, registration N910FR was enroute den from cun, and encountered turbulence while in a holding pattern over Hugo co. a… 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.