Airbus A320 232 N595JB accident near Boston, Massachusetts

Probable cause

an inadvertent encounter with convective turbulence.

NTSB analysis

On May 2, 2017 at 7:30pm eastern daylight time, JetBlue flight 1317, an Airbus A320, N595JB, encountered turbulence resulting in a serious injury to a flight attendant. The flight was a regularly scheduled flight from Boston Logan Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts, to the John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, New York. There were no other injuries, and no damage to the airplane.

According to the flight attendant statements, the #3 flight attendant (FA) stated that because the ride was "slightly bumpy," she remained seated for an additional 5 to 10 minutes after the cabin received the double chime indicating that the flight had passed 10,000 feet. Once it seemed to have smoothed out, she stood up and began to prepare for cabin service. Shortly after standing up, the airplane shook violently and she was tossed off her feet and into the air and landed on her right ankle, ending up on the galley floor.

According to the flight crew statements, they had just completed a flight into BOS on a different airplane with nothing more than light turbulence on descent. Prior to the accident flight, the captain briefed the #1 FA that they had just flown in and didn't expect anything worse than light turbulence during climb out. During climb out, the flight crew indicted they were in and out of the clouds and only experience light chop. The weather radar was on but "was not painting anything." Just prior to leveling off at 14,000 feet they encountered a strong jolt of turbulence and then received a call from the cabin about the #3 flight attendant injury. At the time of the turbulence, the fasten seatbelt sign was illuminated.

The injured FA was assisted into a rear customer seat for the remainder of the flight with her foot elevated and ice applied. Because the injured FA was incapacitated, the #2 FA crewed the #3 FA position and a nonrevenue FA crewed the #2 FA position. The flight was met by emergency medical personnel and the FA was transported to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with a broken right ankle.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for DCA17CA111 for the full record.