Airbus Industrie A330-323 accident near Sophia, North Carolina, September 18, 2012
On September 18, 2012 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Airbus Industrie A330-323, registered N273AY, was involved in an accident during enroute (descent) near Sophia, North Carolina (Charlotte-Douglas airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 158 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an encounter with moderate turbulence while the flight attendant was securing the cabin for arrival.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2012 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sophia, North Carolina · Charlotte-Douglas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 158 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus Industrie A330-323 · all A330-323s on the register
- Registration
- N273AY · no longer on the register · serial 0337
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 18th, 2012 at approximately 1230 EDT, an Airbus A330, N273AY, operated by US Airways as flight 707 from Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) to Charlotte, NC (CLT) encountered severe turbulence on descent into CLT. During the encounter, a flight attendant was seriously injured. According to the operator, on descent into CLT the flight crew received an ACARS message from the company dispatcher handling the flight. The dispatcher indicated that a SIGMET was issued for the North Carolina area with strong winds and embedded thunderstorms. The International Relief Officer (IRO) contacted the flight attendants to advise them they would be entering an area of possible turbulence in approximately 15 minutes. An announcement was also made to the passengers over the public address system advising them to remain seated and fasten their seat belts. The seat belt sign was illuminated. The airplane was descending through approximately 16,000 feet when it entered the clouds and encountered moderate turbulence. In the cabin, the flight attendants began preparing the cabin for arrival after receiving the turbulence advisory from the IRO. Several flight attendants were still out of their seats collecting service items and securing the galley when the turbulence encounter occurred. The "C" flight attendant was securing the aft galley during the encounter. She was lifted into the air, fell back down onto the cabin floor, and landed on her back. The "D" and "G" flight attendants also sustained minor injuries. The flight crew contacted the flight attendants after the encounter and were notified of their injuries. The flight crew arranged for paramedics to meet the flight and remove the injured flight attendants. The "C" flight attendant received a fracture to the distal tibia at the medial and lateral malleoli.
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 enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,343 hours in all; 4,125 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,191 hours in all; 1,353 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 379
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P & W PW4168A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P & W PW4168A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: US Airways INC
The flight
- Departed from: EDDF Frankfurt
- Destination: KCLT Charlotte NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 12 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,700 ft; scat at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 4:47 pm from KGSO, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 8 | ||
| Flight crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 147 |
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.