Pilot Debrief

BOEING 737-7H4 near Laverne, OK — 2012-03-20

Final reportWPR12LA144
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Date
2012-03-20
Location
Laverne, OK, USA
Airport
WWR
Aircraft
BOEING 737-7H4
Registration
N247WN
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

The airplane’s encounter with severe turbulence during cruise flight, which resulted in a serious injury to a flight attendant.

NTSB narrative

The flight had been experiencing moderate turbulence along its route. Once the turbulence had subsided, the seatbelt sign was turned off. The flight attendants had resumed their service when the flight encountered three additional turbulence jolts. The aft galley flight attendant was trying to get seated and strapped into the jumpseat but was injured when another turbulence jolt occurred. She was thrown across the galley and hit her back/ribs on an object. Flight data recorder information showed that vertical accelerations fluctuated between about 0.75 g and 1.2 g; lateral accelerations also fluctuated during this period, between about +/- 0.05 g. An airmen’s meteorological information advisory for moderate turbulence was active for the accident location at the time. A significant meteorological information advisory for occasional severe turbulence was active for an area west of the accident location.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Environmental
First missed decision gate
Flight crew could have anticipated turbulence and kept seatbelt sign on longer.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • FDR / data
  • 7 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents7

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