# NTSB MIA00LA108: Aerospatiale ATR-72-212, N636AS, Athens, GA, March 10, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 10, 2000, 13:10 local (18:10 UTC) - Place: Athens, GA - Coordinates: 34.000755, -83.339103 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.0008&lon=-83.3391&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 26 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 2, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 48795 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA00LA108 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/48795/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00LA108 ## Probable cause The flight attendant's failure to seat and belt herself during an inflight encounter with turbulence in clouds resulting in her losing foothold and falling against a passenger seat, sustaining a fractured ankle. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, cruise - weather condition - turbulence in clouds (contributing factor) - Miscellaneous/other, cruise - seat belt sign - not complied with, flight attendant (cause) - miscellaneous, flight attendant ## Analysis According to the pilot, the flight was at cruise at 15,000 feet agl, with the seat belt sign illuminated, and no weather echo returns indicated on the weather radar, when he passed through the edge of a cloud. The aircraft received a hard jolt followed by moderate turbulence that caused an unseated cabin crewmember to lose her footing and fall against a seat armrest. She sustained a fracture of the great right toe and the left ankle. ## Factual narrative On March 10, 2000, about 1310 eastern standard time, an Aerospatiale ATR-72-212, N636AS, registered to First Security National Bank, NA, operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc., as flight number 4163, a Title 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled air carrier flight, sustained a serious injury to a cabin crewmember while in cruise flight 12 miles northwest of Athens, Georgia, at 15,000 feet msl. The ATP-rated pilot, the commercially-rated copilot, another cabin crewmember, and 23 passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Atlanta about 20 minutes before the accident. According to the pilot's statement, the flight was en route to Greenville-Spartanburg, at 15,000 feet msl, passing northwest of cloud buildups that did not show on the airborne weather radar, with the seat belt sign illuminated, when the aircraft passed through the edge of a cloud. The aircraft experienced a hard jolt, followed by moderate turbulence, after which the cockpit received a cabin interphone report that one flight attendant and two passengers received possible injuries. The pilot elected to continue to his destination, about 15 minutes away, and requested emergency medical personnel meet the flight. Upon landing, the two passengers were determined by medical personnel not to be seriously injured and were released. The flight attendant was transported to a hospital where it was determined she sustained fractures of the left ankle and right great toe. The aircraft was inspected for damage with negative findings. The NTSB was notified by the airline's FAA Principal Operating Inspector on March 15, 2000, that the flight attendant had sustained a slightly displaced fracture of the distal fibula of the left ankle. ## Aircraft - Registration: N636AS (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Aerospatiale ATR-72-212 - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 375 - Airframe hours: 15862 - Engines: P&W 127 PW 2750 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: Atlantic Southeast Airlines - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: AAIP, March 5, 2000, 37 hours before - Departed: ATL, ATLANTA, GA - Destination: GSP, GREENVILLE, SC - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 36; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 2,700 total, 950 in this make and model, 1,850 as pilot in command, 80 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,900 ft broken - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 66 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: AHN, 12 nm away ## 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 20000310013419A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000310013419A), Mar 10, 2000: Aerosp ATR72212, Athens, GA, No damage. (-23) Aircraft inadvertently entered into clear air turbulence which caused the flight attendant to be thrown into the air and when she landed she fractured… 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.