1997-07 · NASA ASRS report 376190
WDB ACFT IN CLB ENCOUNTERED WX AND TURB. RPTR FO SAYS THE ENCOUNTER WAS 10-15 SECONDS WITH SEVERITY UP TO MODERATE CHOP. 4 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE INJURED DURING THE ENCOUNTER.
FLT PLANNING; PREFLT; PUSHBACK AND ENG START WERE NORMAL. TKOF AND CLBOUT WERE NORMAL WITH AN E DEP. ON A HDG OF 090 DEGS ASSIGNED; WE WERE ISSUED A CLRNC TO CLB TO 14000 FT AND TURN L TO A NW HEADING (330-340 DEGS?) AND JOIN THE MCCOY 5 DEP WITH THE SAV TRANSITION. IN THE TURN WE REQUESTED DEV E OF COURSE DUE TO TSTMS. (THIS REQUEST WOULD KEEP US IN THE CLR AND AWAY FROM THE TSTMS.) ATC DENIED THIS REQUEST BECAUSE OF INBOUND TFC ALREADY DEVIATING IN THE AREA. WE THEN BEGAN DEVIATING W OF COURSE. NW OF CRG VOR; AN OPENING WAS SHOWING ON RADAR THAT HAD SUFFICIENT SIZE AND DISTANCE FOR SAFE FLT BTWN CELLS. THE RADAR ALSO SHOWED THAT IT WAS CLR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TSTMS. THIS APPEARED TO BE THE BEST COURSE AT THIS TIME; THE CAPT ENSURED THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS 'ON' AND TOLD THE FE TO MAKE SURE THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE SEATED. UPON ENTERING THIS AREA; THE COCKPIT EXPERIENCED 10-15 SECONDS OF TURB. THE TURB ENDED WHEN THE ACFT CAME OUT THE BACKSIDE INTO SMOOTH AIR AND CLR SKY CONDITIONS. WE TURNED NE AND HAD TO DEVIATE 15-20 DEGS R TO GO AROUND AN OVERHANG AFTER THE INITIAL TURN. THE TYPE OF AND DURATION OF TURB AS DEFINED BY THE 'TURB RPTING CRITERIA TABLE' EXPERIENCED IN THE COCKPIT WAS AS FOLLOWS: INTERMITTENT LIGHT TURB FOR UP TO 11 SECONDS; MODERATE CHOP FOR 4-5 SECONDS. THE REMAINDER OF THIS FLT SEGMENT WAS NORMAL AND WITHOUT INCIDENT INVOLVING WX. SOME TIME PASSED BEFORE WE WERE INFORMED THAT A FLT ATTENDANT WAS INJURED IN THE REAR CABIN. THE CAPT WAS INFORMED THAT ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS WAS A NURSE AND WAS EVALUATING THE NEEDS OF THE INJURED. THIS IS WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT 2 ADDITIONAL FLT ATTENDANTS WERE INJURED. DISPATCH IN FLL WAS THEN PHONE PATCHED AND INFORMED OF THE PROB. WE THEN DIVERTED TO BANGOR; ME; BECAUSE IT IS KNOWN TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE OUR ACFT NEEDS; EXCELLENT MEDICAL CTRS NEARBY; AND WX THAT WAS CLR WITH NO RPTED TURB. (TROPICAL STORM WAS AFFECTING ALMOST THE ENTIRE EAST COAST.) AFTER LNDG; THE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE REMOVED AND SENT TO THE HOSPITAL BY TRAINED MEDICAL PERSONNEL. I THEN HEARD THAT A 4TH FLT ATTENDANT HAD A SORE AND SWOLLEN KNEE BUT DID NOT WANT MEDICAL ATTN. AFTER ABOUT 45 MINS TO 1 HR; HE DECIDED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. I WAS INFORMED BY THE CAPT THAT WHILE HE WAS AT THE HOSPITAL; THE FLT ATTENDANT WITH THE SORE AND SWOLLEN KNEE CALLED CREW SCHEDULING AND INFORMED THEM THAT HE WOULD BE RETURNING TO THE FLT. THE CAPT RECEIVED A CELL PHONE CALL FROM A CITY OFFICIAL TO INFORM HIM THAT HE WAS RETURNING THE FLT ATTENDANT TO THE ARPT. THE CAPT ASKED TO SPEAK TO THE FLT ATTENDANT TO DETERMINE IF HE; THE FLT ATTENDANT; FELT HE COULD PERFORM HIS SAFETY DUTIES INCLUDING EMER EVAC. HE REPLIED THAT HE WAS CAPABLE IN PERFORMING HIS SAFETY RELATED DUTIES AND EMER EVAC DUTIES. OUT OF THE 4 INJURED ATTENDANTS; 1 HAD A FRACTURED COLLAR BONE; 2 HAD BRUISES AND PULLED TENDONS AND SORE JOINTS; AND 1 HAD A SORE AND SWOLLEN KNEE. TO AVOID THIS; PLTS NEED TO STRESS IMPORTANCE OF BEING SEATED AND BELTED AS FAST AS POSSIBLE WHEN TOLD TO DO SO. ALSO; NOT TO BEGIN PAX SVC WITH WX IN AREA UNLESS PLTS OK THIS SVC. THE HEAD FLT ATTENDANT WAS TOLD THE FIRST 1 HR AND 30 MINS MIGHT BE ROUGH AND HOLD ALL SVC TO MINIMUM. FOR WX AVOIDANCE; ENSURE ATC UNDERSTANDS CONDITIONS AND STRESS THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO GO INTO AN AREA TO HELP THEM; EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE A GOOD ON BOARD RADAR.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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