Casualties unknown

Flight Attendant Injured During Moderate Turbulence (N605AW)

Needles, CA, US

On August 20, 2001, an Airbus Industrie A320-232 (registration N605AW) operated by America West Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Needles, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: an inadvertent in-flight encounter with turbulence. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-07-04Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered N605AW
Aircraft registered N605AW. Photo: Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A flight attendant was knocked unconscious for about 5 minutes after encountering moderate turbulence during a thunderstorm avoidance routing. She was hospitalized for 48 hours.

Incident Details

A commercial flight, operating under a routing assigned to avoid thunderstorm activity, experienced moderate turbulence for approximately 5 seconds. The seatbelt sign had been illuminated. One flight attendant, who was standing in the aft galley, struck her head and lost consciousness for about 5 minutes.

Flight Crew Actions

The flightcrew communicated with the company and decided to continue to the destination. The injured flight attendant was unable to perform further duties for the remainder of the flight.

Medical Response

Upon arrival at the destination, the flight attendant was transported to a hospital for observation, where she remained for 48 hours.

Weather Conditions

At the time of the event, convective SIGMET 12W was valid. The advisory stated: "AREA TS MOV LTL. TOPS ABV FL450." This indicated an area of thunderstorms moving very little, with cloud tops above 45,000 feet mean sea level.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 20 Aug 2001 Airbus Industrie A320-232 accident near Needles, CA?

A flight attendant was knocked unconscious for about 5 minutes after encountering moderate turbulence during a thunderstorm avoidance routing. She was hospitalized for 48 hours.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 20 Aug 2001 involved an Airbus Industrie A320-232, registration N605AW, operated by America West Inc., at Needles, CA.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

an inadvertent in-flight encounter with turbulence.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20010910X01911. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.