Airbus Industrie A320-212 accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 11, 2012
On June 11, 2012 at about 4:20 am local time, a Airbus Industrie A320-212, registered N352NW, was involved in an accident during approach near Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 149 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadvertent encounter with convective turbulence while in descent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2012 · about 4:20 am local time
- Place
- Minneapolis, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 149 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Airbus Industrie A320-212 · all A320-212s on the register
- Registration
- N352NW · registry record · serial 778
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After receiving a forecast of turbulence from air traffic control (ATC), the flight crew briefed the flight attendants, informed the passengers via the public address system, and the seatbelt sign was illuminated. During descent for landing, the airplane encountered turbulence as the flight crew was maneuvering to avoid weather and radar returns. During the event, a flight attendant standing in the aft galley sustained a serious injury to his right ankle when he was lifted and dropped back to the floor. The remaining 149 passengers and crewmembers onboard were not injured. The flight crew declared an emergency and the airplane landed without further incident.
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
- Turbulence encounter during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,406 hours in all; 3,321 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: April 12, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,972 hours in all; 701 in this make and model; 179 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: January 22, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 167,330 lb
- Seats: 157
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines INC
The flight
- Departed from: MSN Madison WI at 2:47 am
- Destination: MSP Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 11,000 ft; a few clouds at 700 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 2 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 145 |
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.