Boeing 737 7H4 N475WN

Summary

On 23 December 2015 at about 07:16 local time, a Boeing 737 7H4 registered N475WN, operated by Southwest Airlines Co, was involved in an accident near Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. 142 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

23 December 2015 at 07:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.2858, -80.8214

Aircraft

Boeing 737 7H4

Registration

N475WN

Category

Airplane

Year built

2004

Engines

2

Operator

Southwest Airlines Co

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chicago → Charlotte

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

DCA16CA053

1 person was seriously injured.

An inadvertent encounter with clear air turbulence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

On December 23, 2015, at about 00:30 central daylight time, Southwest Airlines flight 834, a Boeing 737-700, N475WN, encountered clear air turbulence while descending for approach to Charlotte/Douglas Intl (KCLT), Charlotte, North Carolina. Of the 142 passengers and crewmembers onboard, one flight attendant received serious injuries and the airplane was not damaged. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Chicago Midway Intl (KMDW), Chicago, Illinois, to KCLT. At the time of the turbulence encounter, the "B" flight attendant (FA) was securing the galley for landing when she was thrown into the air and landed on the metal part of the galley. She was unable to stand back up on her own and required assistance from the other FAs. After landing the injured FA was transported to a local hospital upon arrival to KCLT where she was diagnosed with a broken foot

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.