SkyWest flight 5971, operating for United Airlines as United Express, was en route from Aspen to Houston when it encountered severe turbulence over Texas near Fort Worth. The flight safely diverted to Austin, Texas and was met at the gate by medical personnel.
SkyWest flight 5971 departed Aspen (ASE | KASE) at 23:02 UTC (17:02 local time) bound for Houston (IAH | KIAH). As the flight passed near Fort Worth at an altitude of 39,000 feet, around 00:27 UTC it encountered severe turbulence. ADS-B data from the flight shows a maximum barometric vertical rate of -11,456 feet per minute at 00:27:31 UTC. That rate is a calculated rate by the aircraft’s systems captured at a single moment in time, not a reflection of the total descent.
From 00:27:06 to 00:27:50, the flight descended from 39,000 feet to 34,650 feet before climbing back up to 37,450 feet by 00:28:50. After that point, the aircraft began a descent to land at Austin, squawking 7700 (the squawk code for general emergency) at 00:30:57 UTC.
The graph below shows the altitude and recorded vertical rate for the flight from 00:00 UTC through landing.
Aircraft information
SkyWest flight 5971 was operated by an Embraer E170-200LR, commonly known as the E175. The aircraft has operated with SkyWest since 2014 when it was delivered new to the airline.
27 Responses
Why on earth didn’t the passengers ‘buckle-up’??????
I am sure not being the only one however baffled by the crew flying into that red spot?
Even in the olden days a cell of that magnitude would paint.(remember the old Band Ws?)
If flight aware paints that it must have been seen by the crew.That 175 is a strong jet!
Maybe too high, too heavy and flying through the red returns as depicted. Basic stuff.
When I was a young F/O on the 727 in 1969 we were ferrying from MIA to MSY and the Captain flying went through a cell at around 18,000 feet we lost about 4,000 feet then climbed to 20,000 and settled back around 18,000 and it all took place in about a minute. For the next 23 years of flying I never did it again.
Great summary of a mid-air event. The FR24 tracking network is again shown to be OUTSTANDING in documenting AND reporting inflight events.
David Byrnes (F-KS212 SOON to be back reporting near PDX).
Does the fact that it was met at the gate by medical personnel have anything to do with, well, anything?
Has to do with the fact that two people went to the hospital and 43 were treated at the scene.
Passengers who release their seat belts in flight seem to want to be injured in any air turbulance event during a flight. Stay belted!
An aircraft rapidly dropping several thousand feet means that if you are not properly strapped in with seat belt fastened like your supposed to, means your head would collide with the metalwork above you.
There were injuries that occurred on the flight. One of my friends was one of those injured.
Did they have their seatbelt on?
Looks like poor piloting technique to me.
Topping CB’s is not recommended when your paid by the minute.
What’s a CB? And, it’s “you’re” paid by the minute.
Thank you!
Agreed, I cannot recall the last time I saw a commercial aircraft fly through red on the radar like that. Yellow, sure. Red, never.
Did they gave advance warning of the flight weather?? I know conditions can change quickly in bad conditions
Look obvious to go to RADAR school and learn to stay out of 40-50 dBz RADAR returns.
Perhaps a good non-airline school would fit just right to get the skills and divert for 4 minutes around this extensive weather event. Another example, not interested in flying in any RJ.
At first you blame the pilots then you blame the plane. Which is it?
As a meso meteorologist who studies thunderstorms I would never advise flying through even the edge of a red radar echo like was done here.
I like the information but would be awesome to hear the ATC that goes with this incident.
Thank God it was an Embraer and not a Boeing.
Flying through thunderstorms is stupid. Flying through at 39,000 feet with flight radar is moronic. Where do these faux airlines train their “pilots?”
What is most disturbing to me is the pilot did not ask for permission to deviate to the left or right of the intended path. He should have the pictures on his radar screen showing the rapid movement of the air in front of him.
Yes, the action of pilot shows a sign of violation in safety protocols.
The pilot can request per!mission from ARTCC or FSS can alert the pilot for severe condition along the flight path.
Does it matter that it happened they are alive and on the ground
Life is so pressious and we all need to remember that there have been so many accidents no one survived it’s good to see a survival story
Vector in those Co-ordinate flaps and the outcome is guaranteed. Roger that.
The story didn’t indicate if those two who went to the hospital were “passengers” or flight attendants. If the latter, did the pilot/1st Officer, notify their cabin crew of what might be coming?