Incident Overview
On March 9, 2017, at 1915 central standard time, American Airlines flight 2588, a Boeing MD-83 registered as N9615W, encountered unexpected turbulence during cruise flight at flight level 280 (FL280). The flight was en route from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Texas. The encounter resulted in a serious injury to one flight attendant and minor damage to the aircraft.
Flight Details
According to the operator, while en route to DFW at FL280 in intermittent instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) at a speed of Mach 0.74, the flight crew was deviating left of the assigned course to avoid weather. The aircraft was positioned northeast of Memphis at the time. The seat belt sign had been activated, and the on-board weather radar was not indicating any precipitation. The aircraft then experienced unexpected turbulence.
Injuries
Two flight attendants, designated as #2 and #4, were seated in their jumpseats in the rear of the aircraft. However, their seatbelts were not fastened. When the turbulence occurred, both flight attendants were thrown upward, striking the overhead ceiling panel, and then fell to the floor. No passengers reported injuries, and both flight attendants were able to complete their duties after the event.
Upon arrival at DFW, emergency medical service personnel met the flight attendants at the gate and transported them to a hospital. Both were treated and released that evening. However, the #2 flight attendant was later diagnosed with fractures to her vertebrae.
Aftermath
The aircraft sustained minor damage as a result of the turbulence. No probable cause for the turbulence encounter was stated in the official report. The incident highlights the importance of wearing seatbelts when seated, even with the seat belt sign illuminated.