Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Titusville, Florida 32780
Thursday, March 11, 2010 10:20 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The air carrier flight had been experiencing light, occasionally moderate, turbulence throughout the flight. The captain had asked the flight attendants to secure the cabin earlier than usual, while they were in light turbulence, because the conditions were not expected to improve before arrival at the destination airport. The airplane was at flight level 240, when the flight attendants began the final preparation for landing. During that time, with no echoes depicted on the weather radar, the airplane experienced unexpected severe turbulence for 1 to 2 seconds. The maximum g recorded was 1.773 and the minimum g recorded was 0.391. All three flight attendants were standing at the time, preparing the cabin, when they were jolted upward and then fell to the floor. Two of the flight attendants sustained minor injuries, while one flight attendant was seriously injured. The airplane was not damaged and landed uneventfully at the destination airport.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

An inadvertent in-flight encounter with turbulence, resulting in an injury to a cabin attendant.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/11/2010
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1020
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City Titusville
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 32780
Event Date Year 2010
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 283053N
Event Location Longitude 0804757W
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 1047 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID TIX
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 4000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 150
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 16
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.81
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 114
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 26917
NTSB Notification Source Aircraft Operator
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record May 6 2010 9:53AM
User who most recently changed record kenj
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N319NB
NTSB Number ERA10CA174
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 AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
Aircraft Model A319-100
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 1346
Certified Max Gross Weight 140000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats 2
Cabin Crew Seats 5
Passenger Seats 134
Total number of seats on the aircraft 141
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Mar 1 2010 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 102
Airframe Hours 26401
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type Unknown
Aircraft Owner Name Delta Air Lines Inc
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Atlanta
Aircraft Owner State GA
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 30354
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Delta Air Lines Inc
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Atlanta
Operator State GA
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 30354
Operator Code DALA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
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 LGA
Departure City New York
Departure State NY
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 803
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PBI
Destination City West Palm Beach
Destination State FL
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record May 6 2010 9:53AM
User who most recently changed record kenj
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location N/A
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --