Incident Overview
A flight attendant suffered a displaced fracture of her left ankle after encountering turbulence while returning to her seat during an approach to Honolulu. According to statements from the captain and the injured flight attendant, the crew had anticipated moderate turbulence due to frontal system activity over the Hawaiian Islands.
Precautionary Measures
The captain briefed the flight attendant on the expected turbulence for the entire flight and kept the seatbelt sign illuminated continuously. Turbulence was encountered for the majority of the flight.
Approach and Descent
Radar vectors were provided for an LDA Runway 26L approach to Honolulu. A descent was made to 7,000 feet, with the aircraft heading toward the only clear area between cells shown on both the aircraft and approach control radars.
Turbulence Encounter
No turbulence had been encountered for several minutes, and the flight attendant elected to perform a passenger and seatbelt compliance check. As she was returning to her seat in the rear of the aircraft, the captain reported three strong jolts accompanied by altitude excursions. The flight attendant was bounced off the ceiling twice and sustained a displaced fracture of her left ankle.