British Airways B772 near Newark on May 27th 2015, turbulence injures 2

Last Update: April 9, 2016 / 20:47:51 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of British Airways G-VIIY, Boeing 777-200 — British Airways G-VIIY, Boeing 777-200 (Photo credit: col29071962 / Flickr / License: CC by-nd)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
May 27, 2015

Classification
Accident

Cause
Turbulence

Airline
British Airways

Flight number
BA-189

Departure
London Heathrow, United Kingdom

Destination
Newark, United States

Aircraft Registration
G-VIIY

Aircraft Type
Boeing 777-200

ICAO Type Designator
B772

Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark

Airport ICAO Code
KEWR

A British Airways Boeing 777-200, registration G-VIIY performing flight BA-189 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Newark,NJ (USA) with 199 people on board, was on approach to Newark maintaining 14,000 feet near Hartford,CT (USA) when the aircraft encountered turbulence causing injuries to a passenger and a flight attendant. The aircraft continued for a safe landing at Newark's runway 22L about 15 minutes later.

The FAA reported both passenger and flight attendant received serious injuries.

On Apr 9th 2016 the NTSB released their final report concluding the probable cause of the accident was:

an inadvertent encounter with convective turbulence resulting in serious injury to a flight attendant.

The NTSB reported the aircraft encountered turbulence soon after entering cloud during the descent resulting in three jolts with vertical accelerations between +0.426G and +1.723G and lateral accelerations between -0.211G and +0.156G over a period of 10 seconds.

A flight attendant was assisting a passenger with a drink in the aft galley at the time, the flight attendant braced herself, however the passenger fell onto the flight attendant's left lower leg causing two acute fractures of the left fibula. The flight attendant was assisted to one of the last row seats and remained there for the remainder of the flight, the passenger was assisted to her seat.

The NTSB reported that according to flight crew statement the fasten seat belt sign was turned on about 5 minutes prior to the turbulence encounter, however no announcement was made. The flight attendants stated that the fasten seat belt sign was not turned on until after they queried the flight deck after the turbulence encounter.

Metars:
KEWR 280151Z 23005KT 10SM TS BKN050CB OVC100 23/21 A3014 RMK AO2 TSB43RAB33E49 SLP207 OCNL LTGICCG VC NE TS VC NE MOV NE P0000 T02280206 $
KEWR 280143Z 24007KT 10SM -TSRA BKN050CB OVC100 23/21 A3014 RMK AO2 TSB43RAB33 OCNL LTGICCG OHD TS OHD MOV NE P0000 $
KEWR 280051Z 20004KT 10SM SCT050 BKN100 BKN260 23/20 A3013 RMK AO2 RAE43 SLP202 P0001 T02280200 $
KEWR 272351Z 21007KT 10SM -RA SCT025 BKN055CB BKN100 OVC260 23/19 A3012 RMK AO2 WSHFT 2305 TSE08B21E41 SLP199 CB S MOV NE P0005 6//// T02280194 10311 20228 53020 $
KEWR 272341Z 18009KT 10SM -RA SCT025 BKN055CB BKN100 OVC260 23/20 A3013 RMK AO2WSHFT 2305 TSE08B21E41 CB S MOV NE P0005 $
KEWR 272321Z 25015G20KT 7SM R04R/6000VP6000FT -TSRA SCT025 BKN055CB BKN100 OVC260 25/21 A3012 RMK AO2 WSHFT 2305 TSE08B21 OCNL LTGICCG VC S TS VC S MOV NE PNO $
KEWR 272309Z 26010KT 10SM -RA SCT025 BKN055 BKN100 BKN260 26/21 A3011 RMK AO2 TSE08 OCNL LTGICCG DSNT S CB DSNT S MOV NE PNO $
KEWR 272251Z 14004KT 10SM -TSRA SCT025 BKN055CB BKN100 OVC260 25/20 A3008 RMK AO2 PK WND 24027/2235 WSHFT 2221 TSE03B26RAB33 SLP186 OCNL LTGICCG OHD TS OHD MOV NE P0000 T02500200 PNO $
KEWR 272236Z 25021G27KT 5SM -TSRA FEW025 SCT055CB BKN100 BKN260 27/19 A3008 RMKAO2 PK WND 24027/2235 WSHFT 2221 TSE03B26RAB33 OCNL LTGICCG OHD DSNT N TS OHD MO
KEWR 272233Z 27020G26KT 6SM -TSRA FEW025 SCT055CB BKN100 BKN260 28/20 A3009 RMKAO2 PK WND 28026/2233 TSE03B26RAB33 PRESRR OCNL LTGICCG OHD DSNT N TS OHD MOV NE
KEWR 272226Z 18015G20KT 10SM TS FEW025 SCT055CB SCT100 SCT260 28/20 A3006 RMK AO2 TSE03B26 OCNL LTGICCG VC SW-VC W DSNT N TS VC SW-VC W MOV NE CB DSNT N MOV NE
KEWR 272203Z 17013G21KT 10SM FEW025 SCT055CB SCT100 SCT260 29/20 A3004 RMK AO2 TSE03 OCNL LTGICCG DSNT W-DSNT NW CB OHD DSNT W-DSNT NW MOV NE
KEWR 272151Z 17013G21KT 10SM TS FEW035 SCT055CB SCT100 SCT260 31/20 A3004 RMK AO2 TSB39 SLP173 OCNL LTGICCG VC N TS VC N MOV NE CB DSNT SW-DSNT NW MOV NE T03060200
KEWR 272139Z 18014G23KT 10SM TS FEW035 SCT060CB SCT100 SCT260 31/20 A3005 RMK AO2 TSB39 OCNL LTGICCG VC N TS VC N MOV NE CB DSNT SW MOV NE
KEWR 272100Z 15012G16KT 10SM FEW035 SCT060CB SCT100 SCT260 29/20 A3006 RMK AO2 CB W-NW MOV NE