Airbus A320-321 N644AW

Summary

On 5 June 2003 at about 22:28 local time, a Airbus A320-321 registered N644AW, operated by America West Airlines, Inc., was involved in an accident near Payson, Arizona, United States. 140 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 June 2003 at 22:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Payson, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

34.2614, -111.3433

Aircraft

Airbus A320-321

Registration

N644AW

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

America West Airlines, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Phoenix → Hartford

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03LA181

1 person was seriously injured.

The flight's encounter with convectively induced turbulence associated with developing thunderstorms while the flight crew attempted to deviate around an area of adverse weather. The turbulence event occurred while the crew was attempting to maneuver around the identified primary buildup, and a secondary system that was partially masked by the primary cell visually and on radar was encountered.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

About 25,000 feet during climb out, a flight attendant was injured during an encounter with moderate turbulence. The flight attendant was out of her seat in the aft galley preparing to provide cabin service. The flight crew deviated to the closest airport, the flight attendant was transported to the hospital, and the flight departed 30 minutes later for its intended destination. Prior to departure, the captain was provided with a weather package that indicated there would be a buildup of cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorm activity up to 33,000 feet along their route of flight. During the climb out, the flight crew reported visually seeing the cumulus buildup, and verified it via their onboard weather radar. The flight crew asked for, and received, an ATC clearance to deviate to the right around the building cumulonimbus clouds. The deviation to the right of course placed the flight's path directly downwind of the buildups and potentially in the vicinity of turbulent eddies. The in-flight turbulence event occurred after the flight diverted around a primary buildup and entered into a secondary buildup that was partially masked by the primary buildup.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.