Incident Overview
A McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 operating a scheduled passenger flight encountered turbulence while descending through 15,000 feet mean sea level (MSL). The aircraft was entering a "buildup" cloud at the time. Prior to entering the cloud, night visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
Injuries and Occupant Actions
The only reported injury was to a flight attendant who was not seated and not restrained when the turbulence occurred. The seat belt sign had been turned on, but the flight attendants were not instructed to be seated.
Weather Radar Observations
The captain reported that the weather radar displayed a faint green return from the cloud before the encounter. No lightning or precipitation was observed from the cloud. The first officer stated that the radar showed some activity south of their course. On the 80-mile range, the radar indicated a line of three or four well-defined cells "painting green." Lightning was observed "well" south of the airplane. Directly ahead, on the northernmost side of the line, the radar displayed five to seven green dots. The crew estimated the cloud tops to be about 17,000 feet MSL.
Flight Conditions
No further details were provided regarding the aircraft's route, time of day, or other environmental factors beyond those stated.