| Date: | Wednesday 3 April 2024 |
| Time: | 07:33 |
| Type: | Boeing 717-2BD |
| Owner/operator: | Delta Air Lines |
| Registration: | N899AT |
| MSN: | 55049/5143 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 69 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Cecil, NC -
United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, GA (ATL/KATL) |
| Destination airport: | Asheville Regional Airport, NC (AVL/KAVL) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:April 3rd, 2024, Delta flight 2763 encountered turbulence during descent into Ashville Regional Airport (AVL), Ashville, North Carolina, resulting in a serious injury to a flight attendant.
The captain reported he recognized the flight might encounter turbulence since he had encountered it on his previous flight. He stated that during the preflight briefing he informed the cabin crew to remain seated because they were expecting rough air, and it was a short flight.
The captain reported that the departure and cruise segments of the flight were smooth and uneventful. On descent, around 14,000 feet, the aircraft encountered moderate turbulence before going into a cloud layer. Following the encounter, the first officer called the lead flight attendant (FA) to ensure everyone was ok while the captain asked air traffic control (ATC) for a right turn to avoid an approaching cloud buildup. The lead FA first reported that everything was ok, however shortly after the initial call, she called again to report that one of the FAs might have a broken leg.
The injured FA stated that she was seated in the back of the aircraft and completing her last safety check when the turbulence lifted her out of her seat, and she landed forcefully on her right leg. Another flight attendant hit her head on the ceiling and fell, hurting her lower back.
The captain transferred flight and communication duties to the first officer while the captain coordinated paramedics for the arrival into AVL. The captain then reported the turbulence to ATC and reassumed flight duty. The aircraft landed and arrived at the gate with no further issues. The paramedics met the airplane at the gate, and the seriously injured flight attendant was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with multiple fractures in her right leg.
Post accident weather analysis suggested that the turbulence was likely caused by windshear associated with an upper front. A pilot from a different flight had reported moderate turbulence between 11,000 and 8,000 feet in a nearby area. However, there were no active advisories for turbulence in the location where the accident aircraft encountered turbulence.
Probable Cause: An encounter with clear air turbulence.
Accident investigation:
|
|
| | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Report number: | DCA24LA144 |
| Status: | Investigation completed |
| Duration: | 6 months |
| Download report: | Final report
|
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Sources:
NTSB
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194029 https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/N899AT/history/20240403/0255Z/KATL/KAVL/tracklog https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/N899AT/history/20240403/1010Z/KAVL/KATL Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
| 29-Apr-2024 12:59 |
ASN |
Added |
| 29-Apr-2024 13:00 |
ASN |
Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ] |
| 29-Apr-2024 13:00 |
ASN |
Updated |
| 17-May-2024 15:59 |
Captain Adam |
Updated [Time, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
| 16-Oct-2024 16:54 |
Captain Adam |
Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
| 21-Oct-2024 08:29 |
ASN |
Updated [Accident report, ] |
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