Airbus A319 accident near Fort Myers, Florida, September 6, 2019
On September 6, 2019 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 2006 Airbus A319, registered N515NK, was involved in an accident during enroute (descent) near Fort Myers, Florida. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 107 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an encounter with convectively induced turbulence associated with towering cumulus clouds during descent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2019 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Myers, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 107 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus A319 132, built 2006 · all A319s on the register
- Registration
- N515NK · no longer on the register · serial 02698
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 6, 2019, about 1600 EDT, Spirit Airlines flight 967, an Airbus A319, N515NK, encountered turbulence during descent into Fort Myers Southwest Florida Airport (KRSW), Fort Myers, Florida. Of the108 passengers and crew onboard, one flight attendant received serious injuries. The airplane was not damaged. The flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (KCLE), Cleveland, Ohio to KRSW. According to the flight crew, the flight was descending through about 12,000 feet when the captain made the arrival announcement on the public address system (PA) “in anticipation of encountering turbulence due to a scattered layer of cumulous clouds.” The seat belt sign was illuminated. According to the flight attendants (FA), the turbulence was encountered shortly after the captain’s PA, while the flight attendants were conducting final compliance checks in the cabin. One of the aft flight attendants fell to the floor during the encounter. She was unable to return to her jumpseat due to her injury and was assisted to a passenger seat in the aft cabin for landing. The flight crew was notified of the FAs injury and requested that paramedics meet the airplane at the gate. After landing, the injured FA was transported to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured ankle. Post accident examination of the weather data determined that the turbulence occurred during day visual meteorological conditions when the airplane entered scattered cumulus congestus clouds (towering cumulus) associated with heavy rain showers and a sea breeze front. There was no lightning detected, pilot reports (PIREPs), or inflight weather advisories current for the area.
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
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Effect on personnel
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 166,000 lb
- Seats: 145
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Iae V2524-A5 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Iae V2524-A5 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Spirit Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: KCLE Cleveland OH at 6:10 pm
- Destination: KRSW Fort Myers FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 2 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 103 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on July 13, 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 |
| 2 | Weather Study | PDF, 27 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Meteorology Attachment 1 - Ncar Gtg-n Imagery | PDF, 18 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Operational Factors | PDF, 21 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Operational Factors Attachment 1 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Operational Factors-attachment 2 Dispatch Release | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Operational Factors Attachment 3 Final Weather Briefing | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Operational Factors Attachment 4 Spirit Airlines Newsletter on Turbulance | 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.