Incident
On May 2, 2017, at 7:30 pm eastern daylight time, JetBlue flight 1317, an Airbus A320 (registration N595JB), experienced turbulence that caused a serious injury to a flight attendant. The flight was a regularly scheduled service from Boston Logan Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts, to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, New York. There were no other injuries and no damage to the airplane.
Sequence of Events
According to statements from the flight attendants, the #3 flight attendant reported 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. She landed on her right ankle and ended up on the galley floor.
Flight crew statements indicated that they had just completed a flight into Boston on a different airplane with nothing more than light turbulence on descent. Prior to the accident flight, the captain briefed the #1 flight attendant that they had just flown in and didn't expect anything worse than light turbulence during climb out. During climb out, the flight crew reported they were in and out of clouds and experienced only 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.
Response
The injured flight attendant was assisted into a rear customer seat for the remainder of the flight with her foot elevated and ice applied. Because the injured flight attendant was incapacitated, the #2 flight attendant crewed the #3 flight attendant position, and a nonrevenue flight attendant crewed the #2 flight attendant position. Upon arrival at JFK, the flight was met by emergency medical personnel, and the flight attendant was transported to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with a broken right ankle.