Cleveland-Hopkins Int. Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Wooster, Ohio 44691
Saturday, August 16, 2003 13:40 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

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.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

An inadvertent encounter with turbulence during descent.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/16/2003
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1340
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City Wooster
Event State OHIO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 44691
Event Date Year 2003
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 405929N
Event Location Longitude 0815317W
Event Location Airport Cleveland-Hopkins Int.
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CLE
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 35
Degrees magnetic from airport 180
Airport Elevation 791
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1351 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID CLE
Elevation of weather observation facility 791
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 35
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4100
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 6
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 31
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 21
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 270
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 14
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.94
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None 132
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 16583
NTSB Notification Source ATA Airlines
NTSB Notification Date Aug 16 2003 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1600
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Oct 28 2004 10:11AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Cleveland, OH

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N329TZ
NTSB Number NYC03LA177
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? Yes
Damage None
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Boeing
Aircraft Model 737-800
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 32615
Certified Max Gross Weight 174200
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 185
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Jul 8 2003 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 348
Airframe Hours 2365
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AMERICAN TRANS AIR INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address PO Box 51609
Aircraft Owner City Indianapolis
Aircraft Owner State IN
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 46251
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code AMTA
Owner has at least one certificate --
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight International
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) --
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MCUN
Departure City Cancun
Departure State --
Departure Country MX
Departure Time 1435
Departure Time Zone UTC
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code CLE
Destination City Cleveland
Destination State OH
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Descent - normal
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Sep 3 2004 1:54PM
User who most recently changed record PEAR
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location NA
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --