Incident Overview
• Date: August 8th, 2024
• Aircraft: Airbus A321-200
• Registration: N542UW
• Flight Number: AA-2905
• Route: Tampa, FL (TPA) to Charlotte, NC (CLT)
• Injuries: 1 serious (double hip fracture), 3 minor (cabin crew)
• Classification: Accident
• Investigation: Conducted by NTSB
Summary of Events
American Airlines flight AA-2905, descending through FL200 approximately 80 nautical miles south of Charlotte, encountered extreme turbulence caused by convectively induced weather conditions. The turbulence resulted in serious injuries to one cabin crew member and minor injuries to three others. Despite the incident, the aircraft landed safely at Charlotte Douglas International Airport approximately 20 minutes later.
NTSB Final Findings
1. Probable Cause:
• The aircraft’s encounter with convectively induced turbulence that developed rapidly ahead of its flight path.
2. Key Contributing Factors:
• Rapidly developing cumulus cloud that was not observed during cruise.
• The flight crew’s focus on pre-arrival tasks, which delayed their awareness of the cloud formation.
• Flight attendants were not seated due to ongoing trash collection from a completed beverage service.
Sequence of Events
1. Pre-Turbulence:
• The flight crew selected FL250 as the cruise altitude based on prior pilot reports indicating smooth air between FL250–FL260.
• Clouds observed appeared to be below the aircraft.
• As the crew prepared for descent, they became momentarily preoccupied with loading performance data into the Flight Management Computer (FMC) and reviewing arrival procedures.
2. Encounter with Cumulus Cloud:
• Upon looking up, the crew noticed a rapidly growing cumulus cloud directly ahead.
• They determined it was too close to maneuver around and immediately activated the seat belt sign.
• The aircraft penetrated the cloud and experienced load factors ranging from 0.17g to 2.75g, classified as extreme turbulence.
3. Injuries to Cabin Crew:
• Flight attendants were in the process of collecting trash using a cart.
• The turbulence caused the trash cart to topple, pinning two flight attendants near the aft left door.
• Another flight attendant fell onto the cart during the turbulence.
• Flight attendant 3 sustained fractures to both ankles, while flight attendants 2 and 4 suffered minor injuries.
Safety Recommendations
1. Flight Crew Procedures:
• Enhance situational awareness training for rapidly developing weather conditions during descent preparation.
• Implement automated alerts for significant convective activity near the flight path.
2. Cabin Safety:
• Reinforce protocols for cabin crew to secure carts and return to seats promptly when turbulence is forecast or suspected.
• Provide improved guidance on securing service equipment during unexpected turbulence.
3. Weather Monitoring:
• Encourage the use of advanced weather radar systems and real-time updates for detecting and avoiding convective turbulence.
Conclusion
This accident underscores the unpredictability of convective turbulence and the importance of proactive weather monitoring. It also highlights the critical need for effective communication and adherence to safety protocols for flight crew and cabin staff during turbulent conditions.
Disclaimer
This report is based on publicly available information as of January 17th, 2025. If you are the rightful owner of any associated content and wish it to be removed, contact takedown@cockpitking.com.
