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DCA24LA241

2024-07-16 · Orlando, Florida, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport MCO

Current FAA registration · N633NK

Make / Model
AIRBUS A320-232
Year of manufacture
2014 · 10 years old at event
Engine
IAE V2527-A5
Seats / Engines
200 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date
20141119
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A84A17

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The captain’s inadvertent aggressive application of the brakes during taxi which resulted in a sudden stop. Contributing to the accident was the flight attendants’ failure to notify the flight crew of the unsecure cabin.

Factual narrative

Spirit Airlines Inc. flight 1101 came to a sudden stop while taxiing to their gate at Orlando International Airport (ORD), Orlando, Florida, and a flight attendant (FA) sustained a serious injury. The flight crew was instructed to hold short of the ramp area due to another airplane occupying the alleyway to their assigned gate. Once the other airplane departed the alleyway flight 1101 could taxi to their gate. The flight crew reported multiple announcements were made reminding passengers to remain seated since they were not at the gate. Believing the cabin was secure, they began to taxi to the gate for parking. Shortly thereafter, they received a call from a FA indicating that there was a line at the aft lavatory and that the cabin was not secure. The captain applied the brakes and inadvertently brought the airplane to an abrupt stop. The flight crew then received a call advising them of multiple FA injuries. At the time of the event, FA-A and FA-D were assisting a passenger who was vomiting profusely. When the aircraft came to an abrupt stop, FA-A sustained an injury to her wrist, while FA-D was thrown to the floor and hit her head. Upon being notified of the injury, the flight crew requested to have emergency medical technicians (EMT) meet the aircraft at the gate. FA-A and FA-D were transported to local hospitals where one was diagnosed with a minor wrist injury and the other a serious head injury. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Communication (personnel)-Lack of communication-Cabin crew

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_DCA24LA241.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.