Plane Crash List

McDonnell Douglas MD-82 N479AA

6 November 2002 · Orlando, Florida, United States · Serious injuries

Summary

On 6 November 2002 at about 14:45 local time, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 registered N479AA was involved in an accident near Orlando, Florida, United States. 76 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.

The record

Date
at 14:45
Classification
Accident
Location
Orlando, Florida, United States
Nearest airport
Orlando International (MCO)
Coordinates
28.4289, -81.3161
Aircraft
McDonnell Douglas MD-82
Registration
N479AA
Category
Airplane
Engines
2
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 121: Air Carrier
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Dallas → Orlando
Aircraft damage
Not recorded
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
ATL03LA014

People

1 person was seriously injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
76 0 1 0 75

Probable cause

The airplane's inflight encounter with turbulence that resulted in injuries to the number two flight attendant.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the Captain, the airplane encountered a moderate bump of turbulence, about one second in duration. He stated that the airplane was skimming a broken layer of clouds with about 2,000 feet of vertical buildup. He stated that the preparation for landing public address was given about six minutes before the airplane encountered the turbulence. According to the Captain, there was "nothing on the radar or visual observation of the sky condition to suggest any more than light turbulence. The number one flight attendant stated the Captain told the flight attendants that there might be turbulence ahead and for them to clean up and sit down. She stated that they were in the process of cleaning up "when it got really bad," and she had to hold onto the seatback. She stated that she saw the number two flight attendant's legs extending into the aisle. The number one flight attendant stated that the number two flight attendant had fallen onto her ankle and she helped her into her seat. At the gate, emergency personnel put a splint on her ankle and transported her to the hospital, where it was later discovered that her ankle was broken.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other McDonnell Douglas MD-82 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
17 Mar 2002 McDonnell Douglas MD-82
N935AS
Anchorage, Alaska, United States Alaska Airlines, Inc. No injuries -
4 Jun 2002 McDonnell Douglas MD-82
N823NK
Wichita, Kansas, United States - No injuries -
9 Nov 2002 McDonnell Douglas MD-82
N452AA
Flushing, New York, United States American Airlines Inc Serious injuries -
25 Jun 2001 McDonnell Douglas MD-82
N491SH
Guadalajara, Mexico
no coordinates
AeroMexico Unknown -
4 Aug 2003 McDonnell Douglas MD-82
N7527A
Charlotte, North Carolina, United States American Airlines, Inc. Serious injuries -
11 Jul 2000 McDonnell Douglas MD-82
N935AS
Anchorage, Alaska, United States - No injuries -

All 29 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
13 Nov 2002 Cessna 182Q
N95745
Orlando, Florida, United States - Minor injuries -
12 Jun 2002 Agusta A119
N911SL
Okeechobee, Florida, United States - No injuries -
20 Sep 2002 Cessna 172P
N612CB
Lutz, Florida, United States Troy Mason Heidel No injuries -
21 Sep 2002 Beagle B-206 SERIES 2
N86GW
McAlpin, Florida, United States - Fatal 1
17 Jan 2002 Mooney M20J
N201XL
Lake Placid, Florida, United States - Minor injuries -
15 Jun 2002 Piper PA-46-310P
N9143B
Osteen, Florida, United States - Fatal 3

All 170,864 records in United States