# NTSB MIA03LA127: Embraer EMB-145LR, N294SK, Taylor, FL, June 18, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 18, 2003, 14:56 local (18:56 UTC) - Place: Taylor, FL - Coordinates: 30.498888, -82.292503 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.4989&lon=-82.2925&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 52 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 28, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 57382 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA03LA127 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/57382/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA03LA127 ## Probable cause The in-flight encounter with turbulence during normal descent resulting in a serious injury to a passenger. A finding in the investigation was the seatbelt sign had been on for approximately 2 minutes at the time of the turbulence encounter. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, descent - normal - weather condition - turbulence (cause) ## Analysis The captain reported that when the flight was 35-40 minutes from landing, the flight progressed into a very fine layer of cirrus type clouds resulting in being in IMC with occasional light turbulence. He switched the seat belt sign on that had been off, and advised the flight attendant of the potential for adverse weather for the destination area. At the same time, air traffic control (ATC) advised the flightcrew of amending their arrival to the destination airport. The ride conditions was requested from the controller who informed the flightcrew that an occasional light chop had been encountered at all altitudes, but no moderate turbulence had been reported. The captain continued advising the flight attendant via crew interphone, and about 2 minutes after the seat belt sign had been illuminated, the flight encountered moderate turbulence which lasted approximately 15-20 seconds and was not depicted on the weather radar display. The flight attendant hung up the interphone to check on the passengers, while the first officer advised ATC of the encounter. Approximately 3 minutes after the weather encounter, the flight attendant advised him that a passenger had been hurt. A medical emergency was declared and the flight proceeded to Orlando where an uneventful landing occurred. The flight attendant stated that during level cruise flight with the seatbelt sign off, the passenger who would become injured and her daughter got up to use the lavatory. The seatbelt sign then came on and the captain advised her on the interphone about the landing and the fact that the airplane was being rerouted. The seatbelt sign had been on for at least 2 minutes when the flight encountered turbulence. She hung up the phone and sat down until it was safe to get up then went to assess the situation. She and the passengers' daughter tried to get the lavatory door open and she then advised the captain of the situation. The lavatory door was then opened and another passenger assisted the injured passenger to seat 18B. She noted the passenger had an injured foot and made an announcement whether there was any medically trained person on-board. An on-board emergency medical technician (EMT) and a fireman helped stabilize the injured passengers' foot. The cabin was prepared for landing and after arriving at the gate, the passengers deplaned, and EMT's assisted the injured passenger. According to ATC information, the flightcrew was in contact with the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center and at 1454:19, a flightcrew member advised the controller that the flight was level at flight level (FL) 280. At 1454:45, the controller cleared the flight to descend to FL 270, and at 1455:51, cleared the flight to descend to FL 240. At 1456:05, a flightcrew member advised the controller that a passenger had fallen due to turbulence, and at 1456:38, a flightcrew member advised the controller that a passenger had a broken foot, and declared a medical emergency. Radar data indicates that about the time of the accident, the airplane was at 27, 400 feet mean sea level. ## Factual narrative On June 18, 2003, about 1456 eastern daylight time, an Embraer EMB-145LR, N294SK, registered to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest NA, operated by Chautauqua Airlines, dba Delta Connection as flight 6355, from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Orlando, Florida, encountered turbulence while descending over Taylor, Florida. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed in the area at the altitude flown and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled, domestic, passenger flight. The airplane was not damaged and there were no reported injuries to the airline transport-rated captain, commercial-rated first officer, 49 passengers, or one flight attendant. One passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight originated at 1222, from the Indianapolis International Airport, Indianapolis, Indiana. The captain reported that when the flight was 35-40 minutes from landing, the flight progressed into a very fine layer of cirrus type clouds resulting in being in IMC with occasional light turbulence. He switched the seatbelt sign on that had been off, and advised the flight attendant of the potential for adverse weather for the destination area. At the same time, air traffic control (ATC) advised the flightcrew of amending their arrival to the destination airport. The ride conditions was requested from the controller who informed the flightcrew that an occasional light chop had been encountered at all altitudes, but no moderate turbulence had been reported. The captain continued advising the flight attendant via crew interphone, and about 2 minutes after the seat belt sign had been illuminated, the flight encountered moderate turbulence which lasted approximately 15-20 seconds and was not depicted on the weather radar display. The flight attendant hung up the interphone to check on the passengers, while the first officer advised ATC of the encounter. Approximately 3 minutes after the weather encounter, the flight attendant advised him that a passenger had been hurt. A medical emergency was declared and the flight proceeded to Orlando where an uneventful landing occurred. The flight attendant stated that during level cruise flight with the seatbelt sign off, the passenger who would become injured and her daughter got up to use the lavatory. The seatbelt sign then came on and the captain advised her on the interphone about the landing and the fact that the airplane was being rerouted. The seatbelt sign had been on for at least 2 minutes when the flight encountered turbulence. She hung up the phone and sat down until it was safe to get up then went to assess the situation. She and the passenger's daughter tried to get the lavatory door open and she then advised the captain of the situation. The lavatory door was then opened and another passenger assisted the injured passenger to seat 18B. She noted the passenger had an injured foot and made an announcement whether there was any medically trained person on board. An on-board emergency medical technician (EMT) and a fireman helped stabilize the injured passenger's foot. The cabin was prepared for landing and after arriving at the gate, the passengers deplaned, and EMT's assisted the injured passenger. According to ATC information, the flightcrew was in contact with the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center and at 1454:19, a flightcrew member advised the controller that the flight was level at flight level (FL) 280. At 1454:45, the controller cleared the flight to descend to FL 270, and at 1455:51, cleared the flight to descend to FL 240. At 1456:05, a flightcrew member advised the controller that a passenger had fallen due to turbulence, and at 1456:38, a flightcrew member advised the controller that a passenger had a broken foot, and declared a medical emergency. Radar data indicates that about the time of the accident, the airplane was at 27, 400 feet mean sea level. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N294SK](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N294SK-2018-01-11), registration cancelled 2018-01-11, S/N 145497, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Embraer EMB-145LR - Registry model: [Embraer EMB-145LR](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-emb-145lr) (registry code 3260212) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rolls-Royce AE-3007A1P](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-ae-3007a1p) (registry code 54571, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 145497 - Airframe hours: 4540.56 - Engines: Allison 3007 7580 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Chautauqua Airlines, Inc., doing business as Delta Connection - Registered owner: Wells Fargo Bank Northwest - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, July 3, 2003, 44.75 hours before - Departed: KIND, Indianapolis, IN - Destination: KMCO, Orlando, FL - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 29; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor, airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review May 6, 2003; seat: left; flight hours: 4,913 total, 1,435 in this make and model, 3,704 as pilot in command, 208 in the last 90 days, 59 in the last 30 days, 7 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 25; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review September 14, 2002; seat: right; flight hours: 2,965 total, 2,025 in this make and model, 847 as pilot in command, 216 in the last 90 days, 80 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 8 knots - Visibility: 5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,000 ft broken - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 73 °F - Altimeter: 29.90 inHg - Observed at: KVQQ ## 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 20030618022019A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030618022019A), Jun 18, 2003: Emb EMB145LR, Orlando, FL. (-23) On June 18, 2003 approximately 1456 EDT, an Embraer Emb-145LR, N294SK operated by chautauqua airlines dba delta connection flight 6355 enroute from… 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.