Air traffic controller’s failure led to serious injuries on Newark-bound flight, feds say

An air traffic controller violated Federal Aviation Administration policy when they failed to relay turbulence in the area of a flight approaching Newark Liberty International Airport that severely injured three flight attendants, according to a final report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The turbulence was so severe and unexpected that two flight attendants had broken bones and one suffered a sub-cranial bleed, according to the report.

NTSB investigators concluded that the controller based in Boston did not relay real-time weather advisories to United Airlines flight 1890 on Feb. 10, 2024 after a plane about three minutes ahead reported moderate turbulence in the area.

The air traffic controller told investigators that they did not hear the Pilot Weather Report from the earlier plane and were “completing other coordination.”

A representative from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Flight 1890 left Los Angeles the morning of Feb. 10, 2024 heading to Newark and planned a northern flight path to avoid turbulence in central Pennsylvania, according to the report.

At about 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time a plane ahead of flight 1890 reported moderate to heavy precipitation to air traffic controllers with “light to moderate chop” during their descent, according to the report.

Three minutes later, flight 1890 checked in with an air traffic controller to alert them about their descent but no one responded, the report states.

As the plane continued its descent, the pilots reported seeing an “overcast layer of clouds” ahead that they would enter while descending, but there was no indication of turbulence showing on the plane’s weather radar, according to the report.

A turbulence report was sent to the flight shortly thereafter warning of moderate turbulence in the area, but it was unclear if the pilots ever saw the message, according to the report.

About two minutes later the pilots reported encountering “severely moderate turbulence” and the controller did not respond, according to the report.

The turbulence lasted a few seconds and caused loose objects on the flight deck to be thrown around the cabin, according to the report. Multiple people were injured during the turbulence, including one flight attendant with a head laceration, officials said in the report.

Paramedics met the plane at the gate and transported three flight attendants to the hospital for treatment, according to the report.