DEN06LA095

NTSB accident investigation · Airbus A319-131 · Masonville, CO · July 7, 2006

Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
July 7, 2006, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
Place
Masonville, CO
Injuries
1 serious, 110 uninjured
Damage
No damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N839UAAirbus A319-131
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report October 31, 2006
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA Flight Standards District Office
FAA report
20060707014229A
Case key
64058

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

the flight's encounter with unexpected turbulence, which resulted in a passenger sustaining a fractured ankle.

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 weatherDescent - normal
Weather condition - turbulence,clear airCause

Analysis

The crew reported that the flight had been smooth, the "fasten seatbelt sign" was off, and passengers were allowed to get up and move around the cabin. According to the passenger, she was exiting the aft lavatory when the airplane encountered some turbulence. She stated that she felt as if she was being "jammed" to the floor, and felt her right ankle and leg "go" before she fell to the floor. She sustained serious injury to her right ankle. There were no airmen's meteorological information or significant meteorological information issued for turbulence for the area at the time of the accident. No other injuries were reported and the airplane landed without further incident.

Factual narrative

On July 7, 2006, approximately 0800 mountain daylight time, an Airbus A319-131, N839UA, owned and operated by United Air Lines Inc., encountered turbulence at 17,000 feet mean sea level (msl), near Masonville, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The scheduled domestic passenger flight was being operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 121 on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The captain, first officer, 3 cabin attendants and 105 passengers reported no injuries. One passenger sustained serious injuries. The cross-country flight departed Jackson, Wyoming, at 0720 and was en route to Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado.

According to United Airlines, the airplane was on the RAMMS arrival for DEN descending through 17,000 feet mean sea level. The flight crew and cabin crew all reported that the flight had been smooth, the "fasten seatbelt sign" was off, and passengers were allowed to get up and move around the cabin. According to the passenger, she was exiting the aft lavatory when the airplane encountered some turbulence. She stated that she felt as if she was being "jammed" to the floor, and felt her right ankle and leg "go" before she fell to the floor. There were no airmen's meteorological information (AIRMETS) or significant meteorological information (SIGMETS) issued for turbulence for the area at the time of the accident. No other injuries were reported and the airplane landed without further incident at DEN approximately 0820. Upon arrival in DEN, it was established that the passenger had fractured her right ankle.

Aircraft

Registration
N839UA
Reported as
Airbus A319-131
Category
Airplane
Serial number
1507
Airframe hours
18,110
Engines
International Aero Engines V2522-A5, turbo fanInternational Aero Engines V2522-A5, turbo fan
Damage
No damage
Flight
Part 121
Registered owner
United Airlines
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Continuous airworthiness · June 1, 2006
Departed
JAC · Jackson, WY
Destination
DEN · Denver, CO
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
53
Injuries
None
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
April 1, 2006
Seat
Left
Flight hours
15,000 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 170 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Role
Co-pilot
Age
44
Injuries
None
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
November 1, 2005
Seat
Rear
Flight hours
6,800 total · 2,800 in this make and model · 146 in the last 90 days · 64 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Variable at 4 knots
Visibility
60 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
72 °F, dew point 55 °F
Altimeter
30.26 inHg
Observed at
BJC

FAA reports on this event · 1

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