Created Monday, Mar 29th 2021 18:24Z, last updated Saturday, Jan 8th 2022 16:44Z
A Piedmont Airlines Embraer ERJ-145, registration N650AE performing flight
AA-6142 from Tri-Cities,TN to Charlotte,NC (USA), had been enroute at FL170 and was descending towards Charlotte when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence causing injuries to four occupants. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Charlotte's runway 18C. A passenger received serious injuries, the first officer, a flight attendant and another passenger minor injuries.
The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE INJURING A PASSENGER, CHARLOTTE, NC." and reported one passenger received minor injuries.
On Apr 8th 2021 the NTSB reported there were two serious and two minor injuries on board of the aircraft. The occurrence was rated an accident and is being investigated by the NTSB, however, no investigator travelled on scene.
On Jan 7th 2022 the NTSB released their final report (and docket) concluding the probable cause of the accident was:
an encounter with convective turbulence during descent.
The NTSB analysed:
The flight crew stated they expected turbulence on arrival into KCLT, because they had flown in from KCLT on the flight prior to the accident flight. As a result, prior to pushback of the accident flight, the captain made a public address announcement that the fasten seatbelt sign would remain on and the passengers and flight attendants (FA) should remain seated for the entirety of the flight. As the flight was being vectored around severe convective activity on arrival into KCLT and approaching 12,000 feet, they encountered severe turbulence with downdrafts. The autopilot disconnected and the airplane descended below its assigned level off altitude. The first officer, who was the pilot flying, took manual control of the airplane and began climbing back to 12,000 feet. After exiting the turbulent conditions, the captain called the FA and was informed that one passenger had been injured.
According to the FA, a passenger got up while the seatbelt sign was on and was in the lavatory when the turbulence was encountered. The passenger complained of back pain as she returned back to her seat after the event. Two medically qualified passengers assisted the injured passenger inflight. After landing, paramedics transported the injured passenger to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured vertebrae.
At the time of the flight’s arrival into KCLT, a SIGMET was active for imbedded thunderstorms and turbulence.
