Created Wednesday, Feb 9th 2022 18:26Z, last updated Tuesday, Jul 18th 2023 19:48Z
A Star Flyer Airbus A320-200, registration JA24MC performing flight
7G-87 from Tokyo Haneda to Kitakyushu (Japan) with 51 passengers and 5 crew, was enroute at FL280 about 80nm west of Osaka (Japan) when the aircraft encountered turbulence causing injuries to a passenger. The aircraft continued to Kitakyushu for a landing without further incident.
On Feb 9th 2022 Japan's TSB reported the passenger received serious injuries (rib fracture). An investigation has been opened.
On Dec 22nd 2022 the JTSB reported in a brief Japanese progress report, that the turbulence actually occurred on final approach at about 300 feet AGL and lasted for a couple of seconds. Although the injured passenger had his seat belt fastened, he/she was pushed against the hand rail at the right hand side causing pain to the passenger. As the pain did not subside, the passenger went to see a doctor on Jan 24th 2022, the JTSB received information about the passenger having received a fractured rib on Feb 4th 2022, rated the occurrence an accident and opened an investigation.
In July 2023 the JTSB released their final report concluding the probable cause of the accident was:
The JTSB concludes that it is probable that in this accident, when encountering clear air turbulence created due to the jet stream, the Aircraft was shaken to the left, therefore, the passenger hit their right side against the armrest on the right side of the seat, resulting in their serious injury.
The JTSB analysed:
Meteorological Information
The JTSB concludes that any radar echo was not observed in the vicinity of the accident airspace, however, clear air turbulence more likely occurred due to the jet stream.
In addition, according to the PIREP, when the accident occurred, at about 19:48, clear air turbulence occurred around the Aircraft at FL 300 at a point of 14 nm northwest from the occurrence point of the accident.
Based on the pre-flight weather information, the flight crews probably judged that there would not be such turbulence as to influence on the in-flight service until reaching the skies above Osaka Prefecture and they probably judged that some light-minus to light level of turbulence could be encountered during the subsequent flight.
Aircraft's turbulence
The JTSB concludes that according to the QAR record (Figure 10), from 19:47:28 to 19:47:54, the vertical acceleration changed from +0.75 G to +1.36 G, and the horizontal acceleration changed between 0.22 G to the left and 0.15 G to the right, and that the Aircraft’s turbulence was probably caused by encountering clear air turbulence created due to the jet stream, because the hourly analysis chart showed the area of vertical wind shear, and there were no clouds.
Passenger injury
The armrests of the seat are 20cm high from the seat surface, which is near the height of the side of a relatively small person.
The JTSB concludes that the passenger remained seated with their seat belt fastened during the flight even after the fasten seat belt sign was turned off, however, in light of the changes in the Aircraft’s horizontal acceleration (between 0.22G to the left and 0.15G to the right) and the roll angle (between 7.7° to the left and 3.5° to the right) as well as the situation of the roll rate (4.5°/sec), it is probable that when the Aircraft was shaken, the passenger was shaken from left to right and hit their right side against the armrest on the right side of the seat, resulting in their 9th rib fracture. At what speed did the passenger hit their right side against the armrest on the right side of the seat was unable to be estimated because it was unclear how strongly did the passenger fasten their seat belt.
In order to prevent horizontal movement of the hips as much as possible, it is important that passengers should always fasten the seat belt at a low waist position with no slack while seated for their own safety.
In addition, when the cabin crewmembers encourage the passengers seated to wear their seat belts it is important to actively call out to the passengers for wearing the seat belts including a proper way of fastening, even when the fasten seat belt sign is turned off.
Based on this case, it is desirable for seat makers to consider the design of seats that accommodate passengers of various body sizes by actively collecting data on similar cases.
After the accident
The JTSB concludes that after the accident occurred, all cabin crewmembers made rounds and performed an inspection in the cabin, however, the passenger in Seat 23A did not report the injury, therefore, none of the cabin crewmembers were probably unable to be aware of their injury.
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