Airbus A320 232 accident near Boston, Massachusetts, May 2, 2017
On May 2, 2017 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2004 Airbus A320 232, registered N595JB, was involved in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Boston, Massachusetts. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 154 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an inadvertent encounter with convective turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 2017 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Boston, Massachusetts · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 154 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus A320 232 232, built 2004 · all A320 232s on the register
- Registration
- N595JB · registry record · serial 2286
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On May 2, 2017 at 7:30pm eastern daylight time, JetBlue flight 1317, an Airbus A320, N595JB, encountered turbulence resulting in a serious injury to a flight attendant. The flight was a regularly scheduled flight from Boston Logan Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts, to the John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, New York. There were no other injuries, and no damage to the airplane. According to the flight attendant statements, the #3 flight attendant (FA) stated that because the ride was "slightly bumpy," she remained seated for an additional 5 to 10 minutes after the cabin received the double chime indicating that the flight had passed 10,000 feet. Once it seemed to have smoothed out, she stood up and began to prepare for cabin service. Shortly after standing up, the airplane shook violently and she was tossed off her feet and into the air and landed on her right ankle, ending up on the galley floor. According to the flight crew statements, they had just completed a flight into BOS on a different airplane with nothing more than light turbulence on descent. Prior to the accident flight, the captain briefed the #1 FA that they had just flown in and didn't expect anything worse than light turbulence during climb out. During climb out, the flight crew indicted they were in and out of the clouds and only experience light chop. The weather radar was on but "was not painting anything." Just prior to leveling off at 14,000 feet they encountered a strong jolt of turbulence and then received a call from the cabin about the #3 flight attendant injury. At the time of the turbulence, the fasten seatbelt sign was illuminated. The injured FA was assisted into a rear customer seat for the remainder of the flight with her foot elevated and ice applied. Because the injured FA was incapacitated, the #2 FA crewed the #3 FA position and a nonrevenue FA crewed the #2 FA position. The flight was met by emergency medical personnel and the FA was transported to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with a broken right 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
- Turbulence encounter during enroute (climb to cruise) 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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 6,600 in this make and model; 232 in the last 90 days; 76 in the last 30 days; 7,400 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 27, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land
- Flight time: 13,478 hours in all; 8,962 in this make and model; 173 in the last 90 days; 61 in the last 30 days; 2,668 as pilot in command; 1,025 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 27, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 50,634 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 169,756 lb
- Seats: 150
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Iae V2500SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Iae V2500SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BOS Boston MA at 6:59 pm
- Destination: JFK Queens NY
- 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 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 150 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on March 9, 2018. 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 |
| 2 | Party Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Flight Crew Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Cabin Crew Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | 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.