Incident Overview
On August 26, 2019, at approximately 2037 central daylight time, Delta Airlines Flight 805, a Boeing MD-88 (registration N911DL), encountered turbulence while descending to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (KORD). The flight was operating as a scheduled passenger service from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (KATL) under 14 CFR Part 121. There were 152 passengers and crew onboard; no damage occurred to the aircraft.
Sequence of Events
According to the flight crew, they received reports of moderate turbulence from preceding aircraft during the initial descent. The captain contacted the cabin crew, advising them of upcoming moderate turbulence and instructing them to be seated. While deviating around an area of weather, the airplane experienced approximately 10 to 15 seconds of moderate turbulence.
Cabin Crew Accounts
The cabin crew reported that they had completed service and stowed all necessary items in the galley. The captain notified them that turbulence would arrive in three to five minutes. The aft flight attendant was returning to his jumpseat when the turbulence began. He lost his balance and fell to the floor. After the turbulence subsided, he managed to reach his jumpseat and immobilize his ankle. The flight attendants informed the flight crew of the injury, and medical personnel met the airplane at the gate.
Injury
A subsequent x-ray revealed that the flight attendant had sustained a fractured distal fibula.