Investigation number
AO-2012-015
Occurrence date
Location
near Sydney Airport
State
New South Wales
Report release date
Report status
Final
Investigation level
Short
Investigation type
Occurrence Investigation
Investigation status
Completed
Aviation occurrence category
Unrestrained occupants/objects
Occurrence class
Incident
Highest injury level
Minor
On 25 January 2012, a Virgin Australia Boeing Company 737-81D aircraft, registered VH-YFC, (YFC) was being operated on a scheduled passenger service from Brisbane to Sydney.
On descent into Sydney YFC encountered unexpected and severe turbulence which lasted about 3 to 5 seconds. As a result, three unsecured cabin crew members sustained minor injuries.
Turbulence is one of the leading causes of in flight injuries and due to the nature of their work cabin crew are 26 times more likely to be injured than passengers. Measures likely to mitigate the risk of injury from unexpected turbulence include aircraft design and cabin crew training
Aircraft Details
Manufacturer
The Boeing Company
Model
737
Registration
VH-YFC
Aircraft Operator
Virgin Australia
Serial number
39413
Operation type
Air Transport High Capacity
Sector
Jet
Departure point
Brisbane, Qld
Destination
Sydney, NSW
Damage
Nil