NYC00LA097

NTSB accident investigation · Boeing 737-300 · Boston, MA · February 3, 2000

Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
February 3, 2000, 08:00 local (13:00 UTC)
Place
Boston, MA
Injuries
1 serious, 59 uninjured
Damage
No damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N397USBoeing 737-300
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 29, 2000
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
20000203038769A
Case key
48856

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

In flight encounter with turbulence.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

In flight encounter with weatherCruise
Weather condition - turbulenceCause

Analysis

While in cruise flight, the airplane encountered turbulence, and the flight attendants returned to their seats. The turbulence continued, and a cart began to break free. A flight attendant attempted to push the cart with her foot, and suffered a fracture.

Factual narrative

On February 3, 2000, about 0800 Eastern Standard Time, a Boeing 737-300, N397US, encountered turbulence after departure from General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts. There was no damage to the airplane, which was owned and operated by US Airways as flight 6509. There were no injuries to 4 crewmembers and 55 passengers, while 1 crewmember was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight destined for Ronald Regan Washington National Airport, Washington, DC. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the air carrier flight conducted under 14 CFR part 121.

The manager of Flight Safety at US Airways stated:

"The flight was dispatched with MEL No. 22-3, yaw damper inop. After level off and during initial passenger service the flight began to encounter turbulence that became progressively worse. The flight attendant returned the serving cart to its stowage bin and then strapped into her jumpseat. During the continued turbulence the cart began to break free. On instinct the flight attendant put up her foot to hold the cart; however, it pushed her foot backwards. At first, the flight attendant assumed her foot was just bruised and would get better on its own, it did not. She visited her own doctor who diagnosed that she had fractured the 5th metatarsal base of her left foot."

Aircraft

Registration
N397US
Reported as
Boeing 737-300
Category
Airplane
Serial number
23319
Engine
Cfm CFM56-3B2, 20,000 lbs thrust, turbo jet
Damage
No damage
Flight
Part 121
Registered owner
US Airways
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Transport
Departed
BOS · MA
Destination
DCA · Washington, DC
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
BOS · Logan Int'L Airport

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
47
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
13,000 total · 4,700 in this make and model · 150 in the last 90 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
280° at 13 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
16,000 ft broken
Temperature
18 °F, dew point -0 °F
Altimeter
29.00 inHg
Observed at
BOS

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.