Created Wednesday, Jan 6th 2021 20:59Z, last updated Wednesday, Jan 6th 2021 20:59Z
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N8697C performing flight
WN-2842 from Chicago Midway,IL to Jacksonville,FL (USA) with 128 people on board, was descending towards Jacksonville when the aircraft encountered moderate turbulence causing serious injuries to one flight attendant and minor injuries to another flight attendant. The aircraft continued for a safe landing in Jacksonville. The flight attendants were taken to a hospital, where one flight attendant was diagnosed with a fractured ankle.
On Jan 6th 2021 the NTSB released their final report concluding the probable cause of the accident was:
an encounter with convectively induced turbulence while penetrating cumulus clouds during descent.
The NTSB reported the captain (53, ATPL, 14,909 hours total, 8,027 hours on type) was assisted by a first officer (44, ATPL, 12,538 hours total, 508 hours on type).
The NTSB reported:
According to the captain, as the flight approached 15,000 feet, he noticed there was a scattered layer of clouds they needed to descend through, and so he elected to provide the 10,000-foot chime to the flight attendants early. As the flight descended through the layer at about 12,000 feet, the airplane encountered moderate turbulence. The seat belt sign was off, and the flight crew had turned off the weather radar about 5 minutes before because they had observed no weather between the airplane and KJAX.
According to the flight attendants (FA), the turbulence was encountered shortly after they received the 10,000-foot chime and begun their final walkthrough of the cabin. The two FAs in the aft cabin were thrown into the air and then struck the floor. One of the injured FAs was transferred to a passenger seat for the remainder of the flight. The flight crew was notified of the injury, who requested that paramedics meet the airplane at the gate. After landing, the two aft FAs were transported to the hospital where one was diagnosed with a fractured ankle.
Post accident examination of the weather data determined that the turbulence was encountered in the vicinity of the sea breeze front and localized convergence where towering cumulus clouds (cumulus congestus clouds) were depicted on the satellite imagery. There was no lightning detected, pilot reports (PIREPs), or inflight advisories for convection or turbulence current for the area.
Related Flight:
WN2842,
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