Embraer E175 accident near South Lake Tahoe, California, August 7, 2015
On August 7, 2015 at about 7:15 am local time, a 2015 Embraer E175, registered N204NN, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near South Lake Tahoe, California. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 65 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane's encounter with moderate turbulence during descent, which resulted in a serious injury to a flight attendant who was not securely seated. Contributing to the accident was the flight attendant's decision to continue to secure items before the flight crew made an announcement that it was safe to continue with the service activities.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2015 · about 7:15 am local time
- Place
- South Lake Tahoe, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 65 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Embraer E175, built 2015
- Registration
- N204NN · registry record · serial 17000477
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The captain of the commercial air carrier flight reported that, during cruise flight, just before descent, he advised the cabin crew to finish the main cabin service activities and be seated for the remainder of the flight because it was expected to encounter turbulence. After completing the main cabin service, both flight attendants chose to continue securing items despite an initial encounter with turbulence because they did not feel endangered by it at the time. The turbulence stopped, and the aft flight attendant continued to secure drink containers. The airplane then encountered turbulence again, and the aft flight attendant sustained a broken ankle after being thrown in the air twice and landing hard. Several pilot reports and National Weather Service products reported moderate turbulence in the area at the time that the airplane encountered the turbulence. The company flight attendant manual states that, during moderate or occasional severe and/or severe turbulence, flight attendants are to stop all services and leave carts with the brakes engaged until turbulence is reduced and to secure themselves in the nearest available seat. The company safety programs manager stated that pilots are responsible for notifying flight attendants of turbulence ahead of time if they are aware of it. After the conditions subside, the flight crew should make a public announcement to inform the flight attendants and passengers. If the aft flight attendant had been seated as instructed by the captain and not continued to secure drinks containers, she likely would have been seated at the time that the airplane encountered the moderate turbulence and not been injured. The aft flight attendant could have continued securing drink containers after the flight crew reported that the flight was clear of the turbulence and announced that it was safe to do so.
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 (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Cabin crew
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,900 hours in all; 2,200 in this make and model; 1,305 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 31, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,290 hours in all; 541 in this make and model; 1,386 as pilot in command; 1,008 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 16, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
Other crew
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 692.7 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 5, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 85,870 lb
- Seats: 81
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CF-34-8E5 (turbofan); 692 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CF-34-8E5 (turbofan); 692 hours total
- Operator: Compass Airlines LLC
The flight
- Departed from: LAX Los Angeles CA at 6:33 am
- Destination: RNO Reno NV
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 11,000 ft; a few clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from KTVL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 1 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 62 |
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.