Incident Description
During a flight at 5,000 feet in a broken cloud layer with light rain and turbulence, the pilot reported that the aircraft encountered severe turbulence lasting approximately one second while the autopilot was engaged. As a result, several passengers struck their heads on the ceiling. The pilot subsequently avoided all clouds, requested medical assistance upon landing, and completed the landing without further incident.
Passenger Account
One injured passenger stated that the pilot had advised passengers that the flight would be "bumpy" and emphasized the need to keep seatbelts fastened, a precaution she had followed. At the time of the event, she heard sounds "like small pebbles dropping onto the plane" and observed mist on the windshield that streamed from the bottom and middle to the top. After assessing herself approximately one to two minutes later, she noticed that the pilot had activated a screen that had been blank until then. On that screen, she saw "green blobs that came on and off," which she likened to a radar screen seen on television.
Weather Conditions
Weather radar data indicated that the aircraft was in proximity to radar returns ranging from VIP Level 1 to Level 4 at the time of the occurrence. The pilot reported the presence of a broken cloud layer, light rain, and turbulence before the severe event.