# NTSB NYC99LA069: Saab-Scania 340A, N343BE, Atlantic City, NJ, March 3, 1999 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 3, 1999, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC) - Place: Atlantic City, NJ - Location: 39.3773° N, 74.4511° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Atlantic City, NJ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.3773&lon=-74.4511&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 32 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 3, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 45901 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC99LA069 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/45901/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA069 ## Probable cause Unanticipated in-flight turbulence. ## 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 airplane was in a descent, the seat belt sign was turned on, and the flight attendant had returned to her seat after conducting a walk-through. She was 'waiting for the 10 out call,' and was not belted in at the time. The airplane encountered turbulence, and the flight attendant was thrown from her seat. Her head hit the ceiling of the airplane, and when she came down, she hit her back on the jumpseat, which had retracted. At the time of the accident, the airplane's weather radar was on and operating normally. There were no reports of turbulence along the route of flight, and it had been smooth both before and after the turbulence event. ## Factual narrative On March 3, 1999, about 1530 Eastern Standard Time, a flight attendant was seriously injured when a Saab 340A, N343BE, operating as Business Express flight 6277, encountered turbulence about 40 nautical miles northeast of Atlantic City, New Jersey. The airplane was not damaged, and the 2 pilots and 30 passengers were uninjured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight between General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The scheduled passenger flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 121. According to a Business Express accident/incident irregularity report, the seat belt sign was turned on, the flight attendant had returned to her jumpseat after conducting a walk-through, and she was "waiting for the 10 out call." She was not belted in at the time. The airplane encountered turbulence, and the flight attendant was thrown from her seat. Her head hit the ceiling of the airplane, and when she came down, she hit her back on the jumpseat, which had retracted. She remained on the deck until after the airplane's arrival at the gate, when she was evacuated by emergency medical personnel. The captain stated that the severe turbulence was unexpected, and that the weather radar was on and operating normally. There were no reports of turbulence along the route of flight, and the flight had been smooth both before and after the turbulence event. According to the Safety Board Flight Data Recorder Factual Report, the accident occurred over a period of 20 seconds, while the airplane "was descending through approximately 8,000 feet and apparently in a turn from 260 degrees to 245 degrees." During the event, pitch oscillated between nose down 0.18 degrees and nose down 3.34 degrees, and left roll reached a maximum 16.17 degrees. Propeller speeds also oscillated during that timeframe. Vertical, lateral and longitudinal acceleration parameters for the recorder were not operating properly. ## Aircraft - Registration: N343BE (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Saab-Scania AB (Saab) 340A - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 101 - Airframe hours: 26286 - Engines: GE CT7-5A 1735 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Business Express Airlines - Registered owner: Wilmington Trust Company - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, March 3, 1999, 6 hours before - Departed: BOS, BOSTON, MA - Destination: PHL, PHILADELPHIA, PA - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 34; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 9,800 total, 7,500 in this make and model, 8,950 as pilot in command, 178 in the last 90 days, 61 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day ## 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 19990303011519A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990303011519A), Mar 3, 1999: Saab SF340A, Atlanticcity, NJ. On March 3, 1999, about 1530 eastern standard time, a flight attendant was seriously injured when a Saab 340A, N343BE, operating as business express flight… 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.