Airbus A320 accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 8, 2021
On February 8, 2021 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Airbus A320, registered N918NK, was involved in an accident during enroute (descent) near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 95 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An abrupt flight control input by the flight crew during descent that caused a flight attendant to fall and fracture their ankle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 8, 2021 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 95 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus A320 271N · all A320s on the register
- Registration
- N918NK · registry record · serial 09259
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced an abrupt maneuver during initial descent and a flight attendant fractured their ankle. According to the flight crew, just prior to top of descent the captain informed the flight attendants to prepare the cabin early because there was weather in the vicinity of the arrival airport. Shortly after that, the first officer (FO), who was the pilot flying, initiated the descent. Air traffic control then cleared the flight to a lower altitude and requested they increase their descent. The FO complied, and increased their vertical speed, however, at some point, he engaged "open descent" mode. The FO saw the airspeed increasing towards red line and he pulled back on the stick and the autopilot disengaged. The captain said he then took control using the autopilot disconnect/priority switch and applied aft stick pressure to return the airplane to a normal descent pitch attitude to prevent an overspeed. According to the flight crew, the airplane was in clear air and smooth flight conditions when the event occurred. Two flight attendants (FA) in the aft galley, were thrown into the air and onto the floor. The captain was notified that one of the FAs had been injured and would need assistance when they got to the gate. A deadheading FA assumed the injured FAs duties for the remainder of the flight. After landing, the FA was transported to a local hospital and diagnosed with a fractured 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
- Abrupt maneuver during enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 34,400 hours in all; 12,000 in this make and model; 255 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days; 34,375 as pilot in command; 4,300 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 8, 2020
- 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: 3,402 hours in all; 103 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 2,089 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 10, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Operator: Spirit Airlines
The flight
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | 5 | ||
| Passengers | 90 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DCA21LA082.