- Date
- August 16, 2003, 13:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Wooster, OH
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor, 132 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N329TZBoeing 737-800
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20030816022969A
- Case key
- 57709
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An inadvertent encounter with turbulence during descent.
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.
Analysis
As the flight was being vectored around weather, the airplane encountered turbulence. A flight attendant, who was preparing the cabin for landing, fell and suffered a broken ankle.
Factual narrative
On August 16, 2003, about 1340 eastern daylight time, a Boeing 737-800, N329TZ, operated by American Trans Air Inc., as flight 820, was not damaged after it encountered turbulence during decent over Wooster, Ohio. There were no injuries to the 2 certificated airline transport pilots, 1 flight attendant, and 129 passengers; however, 1 flight attendant was seriously injured, and two additional flight attendants received minor injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the scheduled, international flight, which originated from the Cancun International Airport (MCUN), Cancun, Mexico, destined for the Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport (CLE), Cleveland, Ohio. Flight 820 was conducted on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan under 14 CFR Part 121
According to a representative from the operator, the flight was being vectored around weather in the area of Cleveland, when it encountered turbulence. A flight attendant, who was preparing the cabin for landing, fell and suffered a broken ankle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N329TZ
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-800
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32615
- Airframe hours
- 2,365
- Engines
- General Electric CFM 56-7B, 27,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanGeneral Electric CFM 56-7B, 27,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- American Trans Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · July 8, 2003 · 348 hours before
- Departed
- MCUN · Cancun
- Destination
- CLE · Cleveland, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CLE · Cleveland-Hopkins Int.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- June 26, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,558 total · 781 in this make and model
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- December 13, 2003
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 16,051 total · 1,076 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- CLE, 35 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.