# NTSB ERA21LA115: Beech 300, N862UP, Myrtle Beach, SC, January 14, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: January 13, 2021, 21:00 local (Jan 14, 2021, 02:00 UTC) - Place: Myrtle Beach, SC - Coordinates: 33.666665, -78.855356 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6667&lon=-78.8554&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, 4 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 102561 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA21LA115 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/102561/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102561 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA115 ## Probable cause An encounter with severe turbulence, which resulted in serious injury to an unseated passenger. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Turbulence: clear air turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032015): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 78 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032015/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: [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the operator, the airplane was cruising at flight level 250, about 1 hour and 40 minutes into the flight, when it encountered 30 to 45 seconds of severe turbulence. One of the three passengers was not seated and sustained serious injuries. The injured passenger reported that she struck her head on the overhead ceiling compartment, then fell onto the armrest. Another passenger assisted her to her seat, but the injured passenger had difficulty fastening her seatbelt. According to the operator, the crew reported the turbulence to air traffic control, advised the controller of the injury, and continued to the destination airport at the request of the passengers. At the destination airport, the passenger was met by emergency medical services personnel and declined additional medical treatment. The passenger reported that she sought medical treatment the following week and had a fractured rib. The pilot recorded the passenger’s seatbelt in the aircraft maintenance logbook. Mechanics performed a functional check of the seatbelt and found it to be operational, and the airplane was returned to service. ## Aircraft - Registration: N862UP (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: BEECH 300 - Category: Airplane - Serial number: FL-1061 - Year built: 2016 - Airframe hours: 3155 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6Aa-60A 1050 horsepower turbo prop; Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A 1050 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: Gama Aviation LLC, doing business as Wheel Up - Registered owner: Bank Of Utah Trustee - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Commuter - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, December 18, 2020, 87 hours before - Departed: APF, Naples, FL - Destination: OPF, Norfolk, VA - Flight plan: IFR - Equipment: Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Satellite tracking device, Angle of attack indicator, Stall warning system, ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 45; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 24, 2020; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 4,685 total, 1,650 in this make and model, 3,250 as pilot in command, 50 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days - Co-pilot; age 38; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review September 9, 2020; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 7,809 total, 45 in this make and model, 4,046 as pilot in command, 45 in the last 90 days, 14 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 48 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 29.92 inHg - Turbulence: Severe - Observed at: SUT, 5 nm away - METAR: KSUT 140215Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC028 09/06 A3000 RMK AO2 T00900055 ## 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 20210113000079A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210113000079A), Jan 13, 2021: Textron Aviation Inc B300, Norfolk, VA, No damage. January 13, 2021. At approximately nine (9) pm eastern standard time, civil aircraft N862UP, a Textron Aviation Inc., king air B300, with serial number FL-1061… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 30, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102561. 18.0 MB in all. - Operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11912378&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA21LA115%20NTSB_6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot's statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 183 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11912143&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record-Pilot%20Statement-Rel.pdf - Passenger interviews (item 3, PDF, 6 pages, 457 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11914425&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Passenger%20Interviews_2_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Maintenance records / photographs (item 4, PDF, 8 pages, 15.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11911924&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N862UP%20Seat%20%237__Redacted-Rel.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.