Accident Embraer ERJ-170-200LR N128SY,
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Date:Sunday 17 December 2017
Time:23:45 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic E170 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Embraer ERJ-170-200LR
Owner/operator:SkyWest Airlines, opf United Express
Registration: N128SY
MSN: 17000445
Year of manufacture:2014
Engine model:GE CF34-8E5
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 57
Aircraft damage: None
Category:Accident
Location:near Saint Louis, Missouri -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO/KSFO)
Destination airport:Saint Louis-Lambert International Airport, MO (STL/KSTL)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
On December 17, 2017, about 2345 central standard time, SkyWest flight 5788, an Embraer ERJ700, N128SY, experienced a sudden pitch correction during descent into St. Louis International Airport (STL), St Louis, Missouri. Of the 57 passengers and crew onboard, one flight attendant was seriously injured.  The airplane was not damaged.

According to the flight crew, the captain was the pilot monitoring and the first officer (FO) was the pilot flying and was on his second day of initial operating experience (IOE). The air was smooth with no turbulence. Air traffic control requested the flight give its "best forward speed" and cleared it direct to the airport. The crew discussed and planned the descent and after entering the data into the flight management system (FMS), noticed they were past the top of descent point for the 3-degree descent path they had entered. As a result, the captain had the FO select flight level change and the descent rate briefly exceeded 5,000 feet/minute and the airspeed increased. To prevent an overspeed condition, the captain instructed the FO to deploy the speed brakes, but the speed continued to increase, so the captain disconnected the autopilot and pitched the nose up.

At the time of the unexpected pitch input, the rear flight attendant (FA) was preparing the galley for landing and was thrown off-balance onto the floor, causing her to twist her ankle.  Medically qualified passengers assisted the FA until landing.  After landing, the FA was transported to the hospital where she was diagnosed with an ankle fracture.

Probable Cause: the abrupt pitch up maneuver which caused the flight attendant to lose her balance and injure her ankle.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: DCA18CA049
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 2 years and 6 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB DCA18CA049

Location

Revision history:

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