Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Los Angeles, California 90245
Friday, February 11, 2005 16:45 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane encountered turbulence at 5,000 feet mean sea level (msl) during an approach to landing and the sole flight attendant was knocked unconscious and sustained serious injuries. The airplane was about 7 minutes from landing, and the flight attendant was completing his before landing checklist when turbulence was encountered. After regaining consciousness a few seconds later, he was able to get to an empty passenger seat. A deadheading flight attendant assumed the incapacitated flight attendant's duties. Review and analysis of available weather data and forecast products showed that airman's meteorological information (AIRMET) Update 6 was issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) and in effect for the flight for occasional moderate turbulence below 12,000 feet. A review of the meteorological data showed that the airplane was operating in conditions that would have supported at least moderate turbulence below 10,000 feet msl. The weather packet included in the flight release provided to the flight crew by the airline's dispatch prior to the flight contained information for AIRMET Update 3; however, AIRMET Update 6 (valid for the accident flight) was not listed. Information contained on the release indicated to the crew that no moderate or greater turbulence was present along the route of flight. At the time of the accident, the airline's contract weather provider evaluated current meteorological data and staff meteorologists used their judgment of the weather to issue a SIGMEC (significant meteorological conditions, a company issued advisory) based on the current weather conditions. NWS-issued SIGMET Yankee was canceled at 1630 because the current pilot reports (PIREPS) indicated that previously forecasted turbulent conditions had diminished. Although an AIRMET was in effect at the time of the accident for moderate or greater turbulence, there were no other supporting indicators to the airline staff meteorologist that moderate or greater turbulence was present along the route of flight. Due to the cancellation of the SIGMET and the lack of additional supporting information for moderate or greater turbulence, the meteorologist did not issue a SIGMEC. Therefore, the turbulence information was not on the flight release provided to the flight crew.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the in-flight encounter with turbulence.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/11/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1645 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Los Angeles |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 90245 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 335633N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1182429W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1650 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LAX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1650 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 32 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1300 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.78 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total None | 30 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 20108 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 18 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1100 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 31 2006 10:47AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-LAX-FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N394AE |
| NTSB Number | LAX05LA105 |
| 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 | SAAB-SCANIA |
| Aircraft Model | SAAB 340B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 340B-394 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 29300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 37 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 478 |
| Airframe Hours | 14432 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1700 West 20th St., MD 1200 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Fort Worth |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75261 |
| 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 | AEAA |
| 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 | Domestic |
| 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 | MRY |
| Departure City | Monterey |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1528 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LAX |
| Destination City | Los Angeles |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 26 2006 1:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |