Incident Overview
On February 3, 2008, at 0659 mountain standard time, a de Havilland DHC-8-202, registration N444YV, operated by Mesa Airlines as flight 7106, encountered severe turbulence approximately 35 miles northwest of Denver, Colorado. The aircraft was not damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The scheduled domestic passenger flight was conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 121, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed.
Flight Details
The flight originated at Casper, Wyoming, at approximately 0545, and was en route to Denver International Airport (DEN). The flight crew consisted of an airline transport certificated pilot as captain and a first officer. There were 19 passengers and one flight attendant on board.
Turbulence Encounter
According to Mesa Airlines, the flight was descending on the RAMMS 5 STAR (Standard Terminal Arrival Route) and was experiencing "light chop." The FASTEN SEATBELTS sign was illuminated. Approximately 5 miles inside RAMMS intersection, as the flight descended from 14,000 feet to 13,000 feet, it encountered severe turbulence.
Injuries and Response
The captain called the flight attendant on the intercom, but she did not answer. An emergency medical technician (EMT), who was a passenger, answered and reported the flight attendant was lying on the floor unconscious. The EMT and an off-duty United flight attendant tended to the injured flight attendant. The captain declared an emergency, and the airplane landed at Denver.
Aftermath
The flight attendant was transported to a hospital, where she underwent surgery for several fractured vertebrae. It was later determined that the captain had suffered a slight concussion. The first officer and all 19 passengers were not injured.