Embraer 140 accident near Dallas, Texas, May 27, 2008
On May 27, 2008 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Embraer 140, registered N816AE, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Dallas, Texas (Dallas Fort Worth Iap airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 24 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight's inadvertent encounter with turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2008 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Dallas, Texas · Dallas Fort Worth Iap · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 24 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Embraer 140 LR
- Registration
- N816AE · no longer on the register · serial 145552
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight crew the flight was carried out in smooth air for most of the way to Dallas. When the flight reached a point about 40 nm west of Bowie VOR, at 17,000 feet altitude, and as the airplane overflew a small cloud, the airplane was abruptly jolted by turbulence. The autopilot disconnected and was immediately reactivated by the flight crew. During the turbulence encounter, an elderly female passenger fell to the floor near the lavatory and suffered a broken ankle.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Clear air turbulence encounter during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Clear air turbulence › Effect on personnel
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Clear air turbulence › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,439 hours in all; 1,203 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 46,517 lb
- Seats: 47
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls Royce AE 3007A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls Royce AE 3007A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: SGF Springfield MO
- Destination: DFW Arlington TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 2 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 20 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.