Incident Overview
A flight crew reported that while cruising at 16,000 feet in visual flight rules (VFR) conditions with scattered precipitation, air traffic control (ATC) notified them of an area of turbulence approximately 25 to 30 miles from their position. The crew was given a heading to fly, which led the aircraft into a cloud that was not depicted on the weather avoidance radar. Within this cloud, the flight experienced moderate to severe turbulence.
Injuries and Response
According to an American Eagle Safety/Flight Service Trip Report, flight attendant Alvarez was finishing her beverage service when the turbulence occurred. She was thrown into the air twice, and the beverage cart came down on her right leg. She was on her way to the galley to stow the cart. A passenger who is an emergency medical technician (EMT) attended to the flight attendant, initially assisted by the first officer. The flight crew declared a medical emergency.
Flight and ATC Communication
The captain reported that the autopilot was engaged during the turbulence encounter and did not disengage. The first report to ATC occurred at 1448 local time, while the aircraft was approaching the JUNUR intersection. At that time, a crew member declared a medical emergency and informed the controller that the flight had encountered turbulence 50 miles back. The flight continued to its destination airport and landed without further incident.