Airbus A319 accident near New Orleans, Louisiana, November 3, 2022
On November 3, 2022 at about 2:40 am local time, a 2006 Airbus A319, registered N519NK, was involved in an accident during enroute (descent) near New Orleans, Louisiana. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 115 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The captain’s pitch up input to avoid an overspeed condition, which resulted in a flight attendant falling and fracturing her ankle. Contributing was the airplane’s excessive airspeed during the transition to the automation-managed descent profile.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 2022 · about 2:40 am local time
- Place
- New Orleans, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 115 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus A319 132, built 2006 · all A319s on the register
- Registration
- N519NK · no longer on the register · serial 2723
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight crew, the airplane was descending to land with the autopilot configured to intercept a managed flight path profile. The airplane was descending in "Vertical Speed” mode at 500 feet per minute, with the airspeed set for 300 knots. As the airplane approached the profile, the crew selected “Managed Descent” mode and the airplane nosed over rapidly to intercept the descending flight path. The first officer checked the altimeter setting and then noticed that the airspeed indicator was approaching the maximum allowable airspeed; he then deployed the speed brakes to about 50%. Simultaneously, the captain took control of the airplane, disengaged the autopilot, and pitched up to avoid an overspeed condition. The crew then reset the automation and commenced a deliberate slow down. Shortly thereafter, the cabin crew called and advised that one of the flight attendants was injured during the maneuver. A flight attendant who was securing carts in the aft galley was hoisted into the air and landed on her left foot, fracturing her ankle. The remainder of the flight continued without incident.
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 › Use of automation › Copilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Knowledge › (general) › Cabin crew
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Copilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › (general) › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,410 hours in all; 1,476 in this make and model; 113 in the last 90 days; 74 in the last 30 days; 4,719 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 9, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 137,787 lb
- Seats: 179
- 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: ATL Atlanta GA at 1:13 am
- Destination: MSY New Orleans LA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 115 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
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.