Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Scottsbluff, Nebraska 69361
Friday, June 10, 2005 18:12 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The aircraft was flying in an area of thunderstorms with the nearest cell 40 miles to the left of course. The captain said the top of a thunderstorm cell was "not painting on radar." They had been expecting light chop but encountered moderate turbulence instead. When the airplane encountered the turbulence, a flight attendant struck the ceiling and a beverage cart. The seat belt light was illuminated at the time. An emergency was declared and the aircraft landed at Denver without further incident. The injured flight attendant was taken to a hospital. An AIRMET for "occasional moderate turbulence between FL270 and FL400 associated with jet stream windshear" had been in effect for the area. There were no PIREPS (pilot reports) of turbulence before the accident, but in the 40 minutes after the accident, there were 5 pilot reports of moderate turbulence at altitudes between FL320 and FL380.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the inflight encounter with moderate turbulence.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/10/2005
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1812
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City Scottsbluff
Event State NEBRASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 69361
Event Date Year 2005
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport --
Event Location Nearest Airport ID --
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport --
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
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID DEN
Elevation of weather observation facility 5431
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions --
Lowest Ceiling Height 1400
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1400
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 12
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 320
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.87
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 126
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 18453
NTSB Notification Source FAA Comm Ctr
NTSB Notification Date Jun 10 2005 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Oct 27 2005 6:51AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Denver, CO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N302NB
NTSB Number DEN05LA090
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Minor
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Airbus Industrie
Aircraft Model A-319-114
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 1062
Certified Max Gross Weight 144200
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 133
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed --
ELT Activated --
ELT Aided Location of Event Site --
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name NORTHWEST AIRLINES INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5101Northwest Drive
Aircraft Owner City Minneapolis
Aircraft Owner State MN
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 55111
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 NWAA
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 MSP
Departure City Minneapolis
Departure State MN
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1655
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code DEN
Destination City Denver
Destination State CO
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Descent - normal
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jul 25 2005 1:12PM
User who most recently changed record MCBM
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --