On March 2, 2023, an Airbus A330-900 of Condor Airlines en route from Frankfurt to Mauritius encountered severe turbulence, resulting in injuries to 22 passengers, including six with broken bones.
The incident occurred approximately two hours before the scheduled landing while the aircraft was crossing Seychelles airspace. The Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) investigated the incident and has now submitted its final report.
Flight DE2314 took off from Frankfurt as scheduled and initially proceeded without incident. Shortly after midnight, at an altitude of 39.000 feet (approximately 11.900 meters), the cockpit crew noticed an approaching cloud cover with peaks reaching 46.000 feet (approximately 14.000 meters). To avoid possible turbulence, the crew decided to divert from the cloud cover and requested a course change from the responsible air traffic control center.
Without waiting for clearance, the crew independently initiated a right turn to circumvent the weather phenomenon. Despite this measure, the aircraft entered a cloud layer, causing initially light turbulence, which then became very severe within a few seconds. Loose objects were thrown through the cabin, and unbelted passengers were lifted from their seats. The recorded acceleration values ranged between +1,75g and -0,7g. In addition, the airspeed briefly increased to Mach 0,856, close to the maximum permissible speed of Mach 0,86.
Injuries and damages
As a result of the violent turbulence, a total of 22 people were injured, six of them seriously. The injuries ranged from bruises and abrasions to fractures, particularly vertebral fractures.
After landing in Mauritius, the injured received medical treatment; some required hospital treatment. The aircraft's cabin suffered significant damage, including fallen ceiling panels and damaged side panels. The Airbus A330-900, registration D-ANRA, was unable to return to scheduled service until 51 days after the incident.
Findings of the BFU investigation
The BFU found that the cockpit crew had initially misjudged the weather radar's echo and avoided the cloudy area too late. Furthermore, the injured passengers were not wearing seat belts at the time of the turbulence, even though the seat belt signs were activated.
A possible influence of wake turbulence from an Airbus A350 flying ahead was analyzed by Airbus, but largely ruled out because the altitude difference between the aircraft was 2.000 feet and wake turbulence is barely noticeable in this constellation.
Recommendations and measures
The BFU emphasizes the importance of careful interpretation of weather radar data and proactive flight path planning to avoid turbulence. Passengers are also strongly advised to remain seatbelt-fastened throughout the flight, as turbulence can often occur unexpectedly. Airlines are encouraged to regularly train their crews in the use of weather radar systems and to optimize cockpit-cabin communication to ensure appropriate response in such situations.
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