B737 flight crew reported encountering wake turbulence during cruise flight in ZAB airspace and at the same time; there was an event happening in the cabin due to some passengers not wearing seat belts when the turbulence occurred.
Synopsis
B737 flight crew reported encountering wake turbulence during cruise flight in ZAB airspace and at the same time; there was an event happening in the cabin due to some passengers not wearing seat belts when the turbulence occurred.
Narrative
We were climbing from FL310 to FL350 for smoother ride. At about 34500 feet; we were hit by wake turbulence and at the same time TA alert went off. I pulled the speed brake out and put hands on throttle and yoke. I was ready to disconnect autothrottle and autoflight. Mach number increased from .78 to .82 for couple seconds. The wake passed; we leveled off at FL350 and told ATC about the wake. Landed in ZZZ; maintenance log filled; and had maintenance team checked out the jet. No damage was found. We flew the same jet later to ZZZ1. Our Purser called us during the encounter of the wake and stated his safety concerns for himself and passengers. Seatbelt sign was on when the event occurred. He told us passengers were at the aisle and he almost got hurt. We didn't know passengers were not complying with the seatbelt sign neither the cabin crew informed us before the event. Announcements were made whenever seatbelts sign turned on. We noticed the Purser was getting upset and emotional so my Captain asked the Purser to come to the cockpit so we can talk about the event but he refused. After we landed in ZZZ; Flight Attendant's Supervisor was involved and we had a conversation. We had no problem working together and continued the next flight to ZZZ1. CRM is one of the most important factors for flying safely. Stay calm and be professional are the foundation of a safe crew member.
Second reporter narrative
We descended to FL310 to avoid an area of reported turbulence in the ABQ sector. Once past the area we requested a climb back to FL330 initially as it was again reported smooth. During the climb ATC recommended and offered FL350 as it was also smooth and we accepted. At roughly 34300 feet we got a TCAS alert and that was immediately followed by a sudden jolt of turbulence and then an overspeed as we apparently went through the descending wake turbulence of an aircraft above. Flying pilot did a good job of immediately getting through speed brake out and I assisted by opening the speed window and lowering the set speed. At roughly Cost Index (CI) 40 - 50 we were initially climbing around Mach .78 and the aircraft accelerated to and slightly above the limit briefly. We got the aircraft back on path and made a report to ATC about the wake event. Made a maintenance entry. Inspection was completed in ZZZ and safe to continue next leg.During the wake event itself I got a chime from the flight attendants which I initially did not answer as we wanted the aircraft back on path and then got. 6 - 7 chimes rapidly as the event concluded. I informed the Flight Attendant (FA) I was dealing with an issue and would call right back. When I did the FA was irate; erratic; and using unprofessional language. My primary concern during this call was to determine if everyone was ok and that no one was hurt. I was assured that was the case. It was clear to me there was a breakdown in communication and general CRM and I requested that the Purser join us in the flight deck so we could have a face-to-face discussion in an attempt to repair. The Purser refused initially and said he needed some time. I said to just let me know when he was ready. We ended up debriefing with a FA Supervisor and the Purser before our next flight.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.