Embraer 145LR accident near Winchester, Virginia, May 13, 2006
On May 13, 2006 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Embraer 145LR, registered N653AE, was involved in an accident near Winchester, Virginia. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 45 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The passenger's failure to heed the flight attendant warning and the seat belt sign. A factor was the turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 2006 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Winchester, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 45 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Embraer 145LR
- Registration
- N653AE · registry record · serial 145433
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was approaching its destination, at 10,000 feet, and the seat belt sign had been illuminated for 10-15 minutes, when the crew noticed that clouds ahead "appeared bumpy." The flight attendant was notified, and she advised the passengers of possible turbulence via the public address system. A passenger subsequently got out of her seat to use the lavatory, and upon leaving the lavatory, while the airplane was in a cloud and experiencing turbulence, she fell and broke her 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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,491 hours in all; 4,156 in this make and model; 6,519 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 46,500 lb
- Seats: 53
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royce AE 3007A1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royce AE 3007A1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORD Chicago IL
- Destination: IAD Dulles VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 9 knots
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 7:40 pm from OKV, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 42 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket 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.