Airbus Industrie A319 132 accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, February 14, 2016
On February 14, 2016 at about 10:35 pm local time, a 2001 Airbus Industrie A319 132, registered N827AW, was involved in an accident during enroute (descent) near Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 104 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an encounter with turbulence that resulted in a serious injury to a passenger who was standing when the fasten seatbelt sign was illuminated.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 14, 2016 · about 10:35 pm local time
- Place
- Minneapolis, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 104 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Airbus Industrie A319 132 132, built 2001 · all A319 132s on the register
- Registration
- N827AW · registry record · serial 1547
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On February 14, 2016, about 04:35 central standard time, American Airlines flight 476, an Airbus A319, N827AW, encountered turbulence during the initial descent to Minneapolis International Airport (MSP), Minneapolis, Minnesota. Of the 100 passengers and crew onboard, one passenger received serious injuries. The airplane was not damaged. The regularly scheduled passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Phoenix, Arizona, to MSP. The flight crew stated that at FL350, prior to their planned top-of-descent, Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) informed them to expect light turbulence during the descent through about FL280. The captain made a public address announcement to the passengers and cabin crew to expect light turbulence so to fasten their seatbelts. The seatbelt sign was on at that time, and had been on most of the flight due to light turbulence. As the flight was descending through about FL310, the nose of the airplane dipped down and the airspeed increased, and to avoid an overspeed the pilot flying pitched the nose up and deployed the speed brakes. Subsequently, they received a call from the flight attendants that a passenger had been injured after having stood up "to stretch" just before the turbulence. After arriving at the gate, the passenger was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with a broken leg.
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 Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Following instructions › Passenger
- 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: 10,000 hours in all; 2,171 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 2,069 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 166,449 lb
- Seats: 145
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Iae V2500SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Iae V2500SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Phoenix AZ at 8:18 am
- Destination: MSP Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 99 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flight Data Recorder - Specialista��s Factual Report | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Flight Data Recorder - Attachment 1 (FDR Tabular Data) | zip file | Download |
| 3 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.