2 CABIN ATTENDANTS AND 2 PAX INJURED DURING A 5 MIN BOUT WITH CLR AIR TURB FROM FL330 TO FL210. THE FO PF HAD TURNED ON SEAT BELT SIGN AND ANNOUNCED THAT THE PAX SHOULD BE SEATED.

Date: 1997-12 · Aircraft: Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng

Anomalies: deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|inflight-event-encounter-other-unknown

Synopsis

2 CABIN ATTENDANTS AND 2 PAX INJURED DURING A 5 MIN BOUT WITH CLR AIR TURB FROM FL330 TO FL210. THE FO PF HAD TURNED ON SEAT BELT SIGN AND ANNOUNCED THAT THE PAX SHOULD BE SEATED.

Narrative

ATC FACILITY: ZDC. LOCATION: MOL/J42. ALONG J42; APPROX 30 MI W MOL AT FL330; ATC ADVISED RPTS OF MODERATE TURB WITH A RPT OF SEVERE TURB AT FL330. ATC ALSO ADVISED ONLY SMOOTH ALTS BELOW FL180 AND MOST ACFT DSNDING TO 17000 FT. FO WAS PF AND MADE PA ADVISING PAX THAT RIDE WAS GOING TO GET BUMPY AND TURNED ON SEAT BELT SIGN REQUESTING ALL BE SEATED AND BUCKLE UP. RIDE AT TIME AT FL330 WAS SMOOTH BUT DUE TO ATC RPTS OF RIDE AHEAD; DECIDED TO DSND TO 17000 FT. AT APPROX FL270 ENCOUNTERED HVY MODERATE CHOP/TURB SO SLOWED ACFT; CONTINUED DSCNT TO GET BELOW TURB. ENCOUNTERING EPISODE OF SEVERE TURB AND BAD RIDE SO CONTINUED TO FL210. ZDC ADVISED THAT ACFT WAS 7 MI N OF COURSE. I RPTED RIDE CONDITIONS AND CTLING ACFT AS REASON. WE WERE THEN CLRED DIRECT GVE VOR. #1 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED 4 INJURIES; THE #3 AND #4 FLT ATTENDANTS ALONG WITH 2 PAX. GALLEY ITEMS STREWN ABOUT. ONCE LEVEL AT 17000 FT; I MADE PA TO PAX EXPLAINING WHAT HAD HAPPENED. PAX SEEMED CALMED DOWN ACCORDING TO #1 FLT ATTENDANT. I THEN NOTIFIED FTW DISPATCH OF INCIDENCE AND REQUESTED MEDICAL SVCS MEET ACFT AT DEST. REST OF FLT UNEVENTFUL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 389457: MIDDLE OF FLT; HIT SEVERE TURB. SEAT BELT SIGN WAS ON. CABIN CREW WAS NOT SEATED OR HAD NOT BEEN INSTRUCTED TO BE IN JUMP SEAT. 2 CREW MEMBERS INJURED. SEVERAL PAX INJURED. MAINLY NECK AND HEAD INJURIES. GOT THROWN AROUND A BIT. GOT STRAPPED INTO JUMP SEAT WHILE TURB WAS STILL GOING ON. TURB SEEMED TO LAST 3-5 MINS.

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