- Date
- April 15, 2006, 16:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Front Royal, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 50 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N934EVBombardier CL600-2B19
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060415029779A
- Case key
- 63575
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 clear air 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.
Analysis
While descending through flight level 250, and maneuvering to avoid a "cell," the airplane encountered clear air turbulence. The flight attendant, who was out of her seat at the time, was thrown to the ceiling, then fell back to the floor, resulting in a serious injury. The airplane landed at the destination airport about 15 minutes later without further incident.
Factual narrative
On April 15, 2006, about 1615 eastern daylight time, a flight attendant was seriously injured when a Bombardier CL600-2B19, N934EV, operating as Atlantic Southeast Airlines flight 4462, encountered turbulence near Front Royal, Virginia. The airplane was undamaged, and there were no injuries to the 2 certificated airline transport pilots and 48 passengers. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The flight was operating on an instrument flight rules plan between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (KATL), Atlanta, Georgia, and Harrisburg International Airport (KMDT), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The scheduled passenger flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 121.
According to a statement submitted by the operator, the captain reported that the airplane was descending through flight level 250, when he deviated west of course to avoid a "cell" about 125 nautical miles from Harrisburg. While doing so, the airplane encountered "moderate turbulence" which disengaged the autopilot. The captain subsequently attempted to contact the flight attendant; however, a passenger answered the call and advised the captain that she was injured. Witnesses reported that she had been "thrown up to the ceiling and rapidly back to the floor." A doctor and two passengers subsequently helped the flight attendant to her jumpseat.
After speaking with the flight attendant, the captain continued the flight to the destination, and landed about 15 minutes later without further incident. The flight attendant was then taken to a local hospital where she was treated for head injuries and a broken foot.
At the time of the accident, AIRMET Tango was in effect for occasional moderate turbulence between flight levels 240 and 400.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N934EV
- Reported as
- Bombardier CL600-2B19
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 8028
- Engines
- General Electric CF343B1, 8,729 lbs thrust, turbo fanGeneral Electric CF343B1, 8,729 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Atlantic Southeast Airlines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 1, 2006
- Departed
- ATL · Atlanta, GA
- Destination
- MDT · Harrisburg, PA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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 · 3
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2006
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,300 total · 600 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Injuries
- Serious
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.56 inHg
- Observed at
- OKV, 14 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.