Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight AR1293 Encounters Severe Turbulence (LV-GGQ)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On November 24, 2018, Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight AR1293, operated by a Boeing 737-800 with registration LV-GGQ, departed from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, bound for Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires. The incident occurred during the cruise phase of the flight at Flight Level 360, near the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil, when the aircraft entered an area of severe turbulence. ## Injuries and Aircraft Damage The sudden turbulence resulted in minor injuries to one passenger and two cabin crew members. The passenger, who was in the lavatory at the time, struck their head on the upper partition, sustaining a superficial injury to the forehead and nasal septum. Two cabin crew members, who were seated and belted in the rear galley, also suffered minor injuries due to the aircraft's movements. The aircraft sustained minor damage, including a broken upper lavatory partition from which oxygen masks detached, and a broken armrest on a seat in row 27. No other damage was recorded. ## Investigation and Data Analysis The Argentine Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Board (JIAAC) investigated the incident using a systemic model. The flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) were recovered and analyzed. The data indicated that the event occurred at 16:22 UTC, with a maximum positive vertical acceleration of 1.957 G and a minimum of 0.558 G. The aircraft was at 36,000 feet, experiencing a brief climb to 36,098 feet and a descent to 35,985 feet. The captain had activated the seatbelt signs prior to the event. The crew reported encountering a clear-air wind shear, which had been avoided on the previous outbound flight. The aircraft landed safely in Ezeiza, and the injured individuals were treated at the airport's medical service.