South African Airways Flight 208 Turbulence Incident (ZS-SXF)

Flight Details and Occurrence Context On 29 December 2012, South African Airways Flight 208, an Airbus A340-300E with registration ZS-SXF, was operating an international scheduled service from Dakar International Airport in Senegal to O.R. Tambo International Airport (FAJS) in South Africa. The aircraft carried 230 passengers and 13 crew members. During the descent for landing at FAJS, the aircraft was at 20,676 feet above mean sea level when it encountered sudden severe air turbulence. ## Injuries and Immediate Response Two cabin crew members were seriously injured while working in the rear galley, securing trolleys and bins. They were not seated or restrained at the time of the turbulence and were thrown into the air, colliding with aircraft furnishings. One crew member was unable to rise from the floor, while the other used the interphone to notify the In-flight Service Coordinator. A passenger who responded to the medical assistance announcement reported that one crew member's knee appeared dislocated. ## Operational and Meteorological Factors The pilot flying reported that the weather radar did not indicate turbulence or moisture along the intended routing. The 'Fasten Seat Belt' sign was activated approximately 100 nautical miles before landing, about 10 minutes before the turbulence event. The pilot flying made a passenger announcement about possible turbulence but did not instruct the cabin crew to take their seats. The crew stated no such announcement was made to them. ## Landing and Medical Care After the pilot-in-command was informed of the injuries, a priority landing was requested from air traffic control and granted. The aircraft landed on runway 03L, which provided a shorter taxi route to the parking bay. Paramedics met the aircraft, stabilized the injured crew members, and transported them to a nearby hospital via ambulance using a passenger assistance unit. ## Aircraft and Personnel Information The aircraft, manufactured in 2005, had 35,016.22 airframe hours at the time of the incident and was certified and maintained according to regulations with no pre-existing faults. The pilot-in-command was a 53-year-old South African with 21,000 total flying hours and 6,390 hours on type. The senior first officer was 46 years old with 13,285 total hours. Both injured cabin crew members were South African, aged 57 and 51, with valid cabin crew licenses. ## Investigation and Data Availability The investigation was conducted under Regulation 12.03.1 of the Civil Aviation Regulations (1997) to promote aviation safety. The aircraft was equipped with flight data and cockpit voice recorders, but neither was downloaded because the incident was reported six days after it occurred, and the aircraft remained in service, causing the relevant flight data to be overwritten.