# NTSB MIA01LA131: Aerospatiale ATR 42-300, N223AT, Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean), April 26, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 26, 2001, 14:35 local (18:35 UTC) - Place: Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean) - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 11 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 20, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 52149 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA01LA131 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/52149/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA131 ## Probable cause The in-flight encounter with moderate to severe turbulence in clouds resulting in the serious injury to the flight attendant. A contributing factor in the accident was the poor in-flight planning by the captain for his allowing beverage service to continue after being advised by ATC of an area of turbulence that was approximately 4 minutes ahead of their position. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, cruise - in-flight planning/decision - poor, pilot in command (contributing factor) - weather condition - turbulence in clouds (cause) ## Analysis The captain reported that while flying at 16000 feet in visual flight rules conditions with scattered precipitation, air traffic control (ATC) advised of an area of turbulence that was located approximately 25 to 30 miles from their present position. The flight crew was advised of a heading to fly which led the airplane into a cloud that was not depicted on the weather avoidance radar. "In this cloud we encountered moderate to severe turbulence...." According to the American Eagle Safety/Flight Service Trip Report (FSTR) which is an attachment to this report, "[flight attendant] Alvarez was finishing her beverage service and they hit turbulence. She flew into the air twice and cart came down on her right leg. She was on her way to the galley to stow cart." The captain also reported that the autopilot which was on at the time, did not disengage. A passenger who is an emergency medical technician (EMT), attended to the passenger and was assisted initially by the first officer. A medical emergency was declared and the flight continued to the destination airport and landed uneventfully. The first report to ATC occurred at 1448 local, when, while approaching the JUNUR intersection, a flightcrew member declared a medical emergency and advised the controller that the flight had encountered turbulence 50 miles back. ## Factual narrative On April 26, 2001, about 1435 eastern daylight time, an Aerospatiale ATR 42-300, N223AT, registered to GPA ATR II, Inc., operated by American Eagle Airlines, as flight 5238, encountered severe to moderate turbulence during cruise flight over the Atlantic Ocean. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled, international, passenger flight. The airplane was not damaged and there were no injuries to the captain, first officer, or nine passengers. The flight attendant sustained serious injuries. The flight originated about 1355, from the Georgetown Airport, Georgetown, Bahamas. The captain reported that while flying at 16,000 feet in visual flight rules conditions with scattered precipitation, air traffic control (ATC) advised of an area of turbulence that was located approximately 25 to 30 miles from their present position. The flightcrew was advised of a heading to fly which led the airplane into a cloud that was not depicted on the weather avoidance radar. "In this cloud we encountered moderate to severe turbulence...." According to the American Eagle Safety/Flight Service Trip Report (FSTR) which is an attachment to this report, "[flight attendant] Alvarez was finishing her beverage service and they hit turbulence. She flew into the air twice and cart came down on her right leg. She was on her way to the galley to stow cart." The captain also reported that the autopilot which was on at the time, did not disengage. A passenger who is an emergency medical technician (EMT), attended to the injured flight attendant and was assisted initially by the first officer. A medical emergency was declared and the flight continued to the destination airport and landed uneventfully. The first report to ATC occurred at 1448 local, when, while approaching the JUNUR intersection, a flightcrew member declared a medical emergency and advised the controller that the flight had encountered turbulence 50 miles back. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N223AT](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N223AT-2003-12-17), registration cancelled 2003-12-17, S/N 223 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Aerospatiale ATR 42-300 - Registry model: [Aerospatiale/Aeritalia ATR 42-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-aeritalia-atr-42-300) (registry code 8680920) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw120) (registry code 52114, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 223 - Airframe hours: 19375 - Engines: P&W PW120 1800 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: American Eagle Airlines - Registered owner: GPA ATR II, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, April 10, 2001, 932 hours before - Departed: MEYF, Georgetown - Destination: KMIA, Miami, FL - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 35; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review December 1, 2000; seat: left; flight hours: 9,100 total, 1,600 in this make and model, 5,500 as pilot in command, 215 in the last 90 days, 80 in the last 30 days - Co-pilot; age 40; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review May 27, 2001; seat: right; flight hours: 7,800 total, 3,300 in this make and model, 4,000 as pilot in command, 240 in the last 90 days, 80 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Wind: 330° at 12 knots - Lowest ceiling: 22,000 ft broken - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 66 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: MYNN ## 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 20010426010029A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010426010029A), Apr 26, 2001: Aerosp ATR42300, Atlantic Ocean, FL. (.19)On April 26, 2001, about 1435 eastern daylight time, an aerospatiale atr 42-300, N223AT, registered to gpa atr ii, inc., operated by americal eagle… 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.