# NTSB ERA10CA174: Airbus Industrie A319-100, N319NB, Titusville, FL, March 11, 2010 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: March 11, 2010, 10:20 local (15:20 UTC) - Place: Titusville, FL - Coordinates: 28.514722, -80.799163 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.5147&lon=-80.7992&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 2 minor, 114 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 22, 2010 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - NTSB case key (mKey): 75481 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA10CA174 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/75481/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75481 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10CA174 ## Probable cause An inadvertent in-flight encounter with turbulence, resulting in an injury to a cabin attendant. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032000): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [Airbus Industrie A319-114, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032000/cases.md?model=3930350), [All aircraft, 92 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360) (defining event); cases with it: [Airbus Industrie A319-114, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=3930350), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md) ## Analysis The air carrier flight had been experiencing light, occasionally moderate, turbulence throughout the flight. The captain had asked the flight attendants to secure the cabin earlier than usual, while they were in light turbulence, because the conditions were not expected to improve before arrival at the destination airport. The airplane was at flight level 240, when the flight attendants began the final preparation for landing. During that time, with no echoes depicted on the weather radar, the airplane experienced unexpected severe turbulence for 1 to 2 seconds. The maximum g recorded was 1.773 and the minimum g recorded was 0.391. All three flight attendants were standing at the time, preparing the cabin, when they were jolted upward and then fell to the floor. Two of the flight attendants sustained minor injuries, while one flight attendant was seriously injured. The airplane was not damaged and landed uneventfully at the destination airport. ## Factual narrative The air carrier flight had been experiencing light, occasionally moderate, turbulence throughout the flight. The captain had asked the flight attendants to secure the cabin earlier than usual, while they were in light turbulence, because the conditions were not expected to improve before arrival at the destination airport. The airplane was at flight level 240, when the flight attendants began the final preparation for landing. During that time, with no echoes depicted on the weather radar, the airplane experienced unexpected severe turbulence for 1 to 2 seconds. The maximum g recorded was 1.773 and the minimum g recorded was 0.391. All three flight attendants were standing at the time, preparing the cabin, when they were jolted upward and then fell to the floor. Two of the flight attendants sustained minor injuries, while one flight attendant was seriously injured. The airplane was not damaged and landed uneventfully at the destination airport. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N319NB](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N319NB), registered now, S/N 1346, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A319-100 - Registry model: [Airbus Industrie A319-114](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-industrie-a319-114) (registry code 3930350) (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: 1346 - Airframe hours: 26401 - Engines: CFM 56-5A5 23500 lbs thrust turbo fan; CFM 56-5A5 23500 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Delta Air Lines Inc - Registered owner: Delta Air Lines Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, March 1, 2010, 102 hours before - Departed: LGA, New York, NY - Destination: PBI, West Palm Beach, FL - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 51; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; last flight review November 27, 2009; seat: left; flight hours: 7,191 total, 1,396 in this make and model, 133 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 45; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; last flight review December 15, 2009; seat: right; flight hours: 7,349 total, 5,028 in this make and model, 158 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 16 knots - Visibility: 3 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 4,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 29.80 inHg - Observed at: TIX ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 6, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75481. 3.4 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 3.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40328006&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF 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.