# NTSB NYC99LA240: Airbus Industrie 319-131, N821UA, Sparta, NJ, September 30, 1999 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 30, 1999, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC) - Place: Sparta, NJ - Location: 41.0334° N, 74.6385° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Sparta, NJ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.0334&lon=-74.6385&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 44 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 13, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 47557 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC99LA240 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/47557/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA240 ## Probable cause The airplane's encounter with clear air turbulence. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, cruise - normal - weather condition - turbulence,clear air (cause) ## Analysis The captain reported light chop to occasional light turbulence at flight level 310. About 15 minutes from the destination airport, a flight attendant was thrown against door 2L and became momentarily unconscious. The captain declared a medical emergency, and after landing, the flight attendant was transported to the hospital. She was diagnosed with a herniated C-6 disk, and underwent surgery to repair the disk. Weather reports indicated no forecasted turbulence along the route of flight. At flight level 310, winds were from the west/southwest at 50-70 knots. ## Factual narrative On September 30, 1999, about 1315 Eastern Daylight Time, an Airbus A319-131, N821UA, operated by United Airlines as flight 1509, encountered turbulence over Sparta, New Jersey. The airplane was not damaged. Two flight crew members, 2 flight attendants, and 40 passengers were not injured; however, a third flight attendant sustained a serious neck injury. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the scheduled passenger flight that departed Boston International Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts, at 1205. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 121 and was destined for Dulles International Airport (IAD), Dulles, Virginia. The captain reported light chop to occasional light turbulence at flight level 310 en route to IAD. About 15 minutes from IAD, a flight attendant notified the captain that another flight attendant had been thrown against door 2L and became unconscious. After a few minutes, she regained consciousness and was administered oxygen by a third flight attendant. The captain declared a medical emergency and requested that paramedics meet the flight upon landing at IAD. According to the captain, no significant weather was forecast for the flight. According to the injured flight attendant, the seat belt sign was "on", but no announcement had been made for the flight attendants to be seated. Two of the flight attendants had returned to their seats and the injured flight attendant was locking a cart in the galley when she "felt a bump." As she was proceeding to her seat, the airplane encountered another "bump" and she was thrown against the assist handle on the 2L door. She fell to the floor and became unconscious for about 2 minutes. The other two flight attendants provided her with oxygen and placed blankets under her head. The injured flight attendant remained in the same position on the floor until the flight landed. After landing, the injured flight attendant was transported by helicopter to a local hospital. According to a United Airlines representative, the flight attendant suffered from a herniated C-6 disk. She remained in the local hospital for 5 days, and was then transported to a different hospital for surgery to repair the disk. Weather reports indicated no forecasted turbulence along the route of flight. At flight level 310, winds were from the west/southwest at 50-70 knots. No significant vertical or horizontal wind shear was forecast at that altitude, and pilot reports for the area indicated no turbulence at cruise levels. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N821UA](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N821UA), registered now, S/N 0944, built 1998 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Airbus Industrie 319-131 - Registry model: [Airbus Industrie A319-131](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-industrie-a319-131) (registry code 3930317) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [IAE V2500SERIES](https://openairdocs.org/engine/iae-v2500series) (registry code 34601, turbo-jet) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 944 - Engines: Int'l Aero En V2522-A5 turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: United Airlines - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: BOS, BOSTON, MA - Destination: IAD, DULLES, VA - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; flight engineer, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 11,244 total, 3,129 in this make and model, 3,129 as pilot in command, 163 in the last 90 days, 45 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 300° at 16 knots, gusting 19 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 50 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: PHL, 40 nm away 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.