ACR FLC AND CABIN CREW MEMBERS EXPERIENCED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB DURING THEIR FLT'S DEP FROM DTW. THE FLC REQUESTED A LOWER CRUISE ALT AND CHKED ON THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX. AS THE FLT PROGRESSED; THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT REQUESTED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS AT THE DEST. THE ACFT WAS ALSO WRITTEN UP FOR A TURB INSPECTION. NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS FOUND.

Date: 1996-01 · Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-other-unknown

Synopsis

ACR FLC AND CABIN CREW MEMBERS EXPERIENCED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB DURING THEIR FLT'S DEP FROM DTW. THE FLC REQUESTED A LOWER CRUISE ALT AND CHKED ON THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX. AS THE FLT PROGRESSED; THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT REQUESTED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS AT THE DEST. THE ACFT WAS ALSO WRITTEN UP FOR A TURB INSPECTION. NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS FOUND.

Narrative

ON CLBOUT FROM DETROIT TO TORONTO WE WERE CLRED TO FL220 BUT WE WERE TOLD THAT OTHER FLTS HAD EXPERIENCED MODERATE TURB ABOVE 17000 FT. WE WERE INITIATING A REQUEST FOR A LOWER ALT FOR CRUISE AND WERE LEVEL AT 15000 FT WHEN WE RAN INTO AN AREA OF SEVERE TURB. WE IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED A LOWER ALT AND LEVELED OFF AT A CRUISE ALT OF 11000 FT. AT 11000 FT WE HAD A SMOOTH RIDE. WE CALLED BACK TO CHK ON THE STATUS OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX AND WERE INFORMED THAT THE PAX WERE OK; BUT SEVERAL OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD BEEN SHAKEN UP. THEY DID NOT REQUEST OR REQUIRE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. CLOSER TO TORONTO THE LEAD ATTENDANT REQUESTED A PARAMEDIC AT TORONTO. WE REQUESTED ONE. WE WROTE UP THE ACFT FOR A TURB INSPECTION AND NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS FOUND. BEFORE THE FLT; I BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT TURB AT HIGHER ALTS AND WARNED THEM THAT EVEN THOUGH METEOROLOGY HAD NOT FORECAST BUMPS AT LOWER LEVELS; TURB WAS HIGHLY PROBABLE. THE CLB OUT FROM DETROIT WAS A LITTLE BUMPY (LIGHT TURB) FROM THE SURFACE TO 5000 FT. AT THAT POINT WE BROKE INTO THE CLR AND THE RIDE WAS SMOOTH. WE REMAINED IN THE CLR AND HAD A SMOOTH RIDE UNTIL WE HIT THE WALL OF TURB. TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE WE NEED BETTER INFO ON FRONTAL TURB. IT IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT EXACTLY WHERE TURB IS GOING TO OCCUR BUT OUR INFO ON TURB WAS A COUPLE OF HRS OLD. AIRLINES SHOULD RESTRICT FLT ATTENDANT MOVEMENT IN THE CABIN DURING CLBS AND DSCNTS. ONCE A FLT IS LEVEL IN CRUISE IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET MEANINGFUL PIREPS ON RIDE RPTS. DURING CLBS AND DSCNTS IN THE PROX OF ARPTS IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET MEANINGFUL RPTS AND MUCH HARDER TO CIRCUMNAV BAD WX IF IT IS THERE. BEST POLICY; FLT ATTENDANTS IN THEIR SEATS EXCEPT DURING CRUISE.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.