Created Friday, Mar 3rd 2023 16:20Z, last updated Friday, Mar 3rd 2023 16:52Z
A Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A330-200, registration B-LHA performing flight
HX-305 from Beijing to Hong Kong (China), was descending towards Hong Kong near Nansha about 40nm northnorthwest of Hong Kong when the aircraft encountered moderate turbulence. One flight attendant received serious injuries as result of the turbulence. The aircraft continued for a safe landing at Hong Kong's Chep Lap Kok Airport.
Hong Kong's AAIA rated the occurrence an accident and opened an investigation.
On Aug 19th 2019 the AAIA released their preliminary report reporting the flight attendant received a fracture of his/her right foot. The captain had avised cabin crew to prepare the cabin early for the arrival in Hong Kong due to bad weather at Hong Kong. The fasten seat belt signs were illuminated. When cabin crew performed their pre-landing checks, the aircraft encountered turbulence, the captain made an announcement "Cabin crew, take your seats", however, one of the flight attendants had already received the injury. After landing the flight attendant was taken to a hospital.
In February 2023 the AAIA released their final report concluding the probable cause of the accident was:
The accident was caused by unexpectedly severe turbulence during the aircraft’s descent into Hong Kong.
The AAIA reported one of the cabin crew sustained a "acute traumatic fracture of the right foot – metatarsal bones".
The AAIA analysed that at 04:18:01 the aircraft encountered a severe updraft of ~28kt in 2 seconds followed by a significant downwind gradient of ~44kt in 3 seconds. This vertical turbulence led to the vertical load factor to increase up to +1.75G before decreasing to +0.35G. The weather radar was working normally.
The AAIA wrote:
The event occurred close to HKIA and the SPECI issued about 5 minutes after the event indicated a thunderstorm in the airport vicinity. The weather was consistent with the meteorological reports which indicated that embedded cumulonimbus cloud might be encountered at or before the descent into Hong Kong in Guangdong airspace. The aircraft flew through an area of isolated embedded cumulonimbus which most probably led it to experience significant wind gusts and corresponding vertical and lateral acceleration variations. These significant wind variations and their associated turbulence occurred between 04:17:50 and 04:18:42.
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