Airbus Industrie A320 214 accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 14, 2016
On May 14, 2016 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1999 Airbus Industrie A320 214, registered N103US, was involved in an accident during approach near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 140 others were unhurt. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an inadvertent encounter with clear air turbulence that resulted in a serious injury to a flight attendant.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2016 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 140 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Airbus Industrie A320 214 214, built 1999 · all A320 214s on the register
- Registration
- N103US · registry record · serial 0861
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On May 14, 2016, at about 1900 EDT, American Airlines flight 762, an Airbus A320, N103US, during descent into Philadelphia International Airport (KPHL), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a flight attendant received a serious injury while trying to put his jump seat down during turbulence. Of the 136 passengers and 5 crew members on board only the flight attendant was injured. The flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulation part 121 as a scheduled passenger flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (KORD), Chicago, Illinois. During the descent into KPHL, the flight crew notified the flight attendants and made a public address announcement that there might be possible turbulence. According to the flight crew, there were no pilot reports of any turbulence ahead and there were no cells noted on the weather radar. Shortly after making the announcement,, the flight experience moderate chop for a minute or two and the flight crew reduced airspeed and advised ATC of the moderate chop. The C flight attendant was sitting down in his aft jumpseat when the turbulence was encountered, and was tossed him into the air and back down, causing him to crush his left hand in the jumpseat. The fight crew was informed of his injury and they coordinated to have medical personnel meet the airplane upon arrival in KPHL. The injured flight attendant was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with a broken left hand.
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 › Clear air turbulence › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 26,755 hours in all; 1,744 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 2, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,656 hours in all; 1,029 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 21, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 169,756 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: KORD Chicago IL at 9:50 pm
- Destination: KPHL Philadelphia PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 240° at 47 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 2 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 136 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on July 30, 2021. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 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.