FLC OF B767 ENCOUNTERS TURB WITH RESULTING CABIN ATTENDANT INJURY.

Narrative

ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB JUST AFTER TRAVERSING A LINE OF TSTMS E OF VUZ VOR. THE TSTMS WERE MOVING IN A LINE ALONG A COLD FRONT FROM W TO E. 4 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE IN THE AFT GALLEY WITH 1 CART NOT SECURED UNDER THE COUNTER WHICH TIPPED OVER SIDEWAYS ON FLT ATTENDANT X; BRUISING HER R ANKLE; R HIP; AND THE R SIDE OF HER RIB CAGE. AFTER DEPARTING ORD ON THIS FLT WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH RECOMMENDING OUR ROUTING TO THE W AFTER PASSING PXV VOR TO GO DIRECT TO VUZ VOR THEN DIRECT TO CRG VOR FLT PLANNED RTE. HE FELT THAT THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WAS LESS ALONG THE PROPOSED ROUTING AND IT WOULD PUT US WELL W OF THE SEVERE WX ADVISORY AREA. AGREEMENT BY SUBSEQUENT ATC CTLRS AND OUR EVALUATION OF OUR WX RADAR RETURNS CONVINCED US THAT XING THE LINE OF TSTMS W OF OUR FILED RTE WAS THE BEST CHOICE. WE CONSIDERED CLBING TO FL370 BUT WERE TOO HVY. THE TOPS ALONG THIS LINE OF TSTMS WERE ABOUT THIS HEIGHT IN THE MOONLIGHT. THIS LINE WAS VERY NARROW WITH GAPS BTWN THE CELLS THAT WERE UNUSUALLY ELONGATED; LIKE CIGARS. THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF LIGHTNING GLOWING AT TIMES AND RUNNING HORIZLY THROUGH THE TOPS. THE MOST INTENSE AREAS OF ACTIVITY APPEARED TO BE WELL TO THE E OF OUR TRACK. THE FURTHER E YOU LOOKED THE MORE DEVELOPED THE LINE APPEARED. AS WE APCHED VUZ WE CONTINUED EVALUATING OUR WX RADAR RETURNS AND CHOSE A WIDE GAP BTWN CELLS (APPROX 40 NM). WE TURNED APPROX 45 DEGS TO OUR L; PASSED BTWN 2 CELLS IN SMOOTH AIR; THEN TURNED 45 DEGS TO OUR R RETURNING TO A TRACK FOR CRG. AT THIS POINT WE EXPERIENCED RAIN FOLLOWED BY A SHARP; INTENSE UPWARD DRAFT FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY A SHARP DOWNDRAFT. THIS IS WHERE THE MODERATE TURB OCCURRED WHICH WAS NO MORE THAN 15-20 SECONDS IN DURATION. THIS SUBSIDED TO INTERMITTENT LIGHT TO MODERATE CHOP AND WITHIN A MIN WE WERE BACK INTO SMOOTH AIR WITH OCCASIONAL CHOP; LIGHT. DURING THIS ENTIRE PERIOD THERE WERE NO RADAR RETURNS IN THE 10 NM OR 20 NM SCALES OR ANY INDICATION FROM ATC TO EXPECT ROUGH AIR. APPROX 15 MINS PRIOR TO THIS OCCURRENCE; I SPOKE WITH THE CHIEF PURSER ON THE INTERPHONE EXPLAINING THE SIT AND QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT THE SVC SIT. THEY WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR SVC. WE HAD BEEN AIRBORNE APPROX 45 MINS WITH THE SEAT BELT SIGN OFF AT 20 MINS INTO THE FLT. WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE SVC AND IF ANY ONSET OF NIBBLES; BUMPS; OR CHOP; OR LIGHT TURB WAS FELT IN THE CABIN; FLT ATTENDANTS WOULD QUICKLY SEAT THEMSELVES IN THE NEAREST PAX SEAT TO THEM; CARTS BEING LEFT IN THE AISLE WITH BRAKES SET. I TURNED ON THE SEAT BELT SIGNS; MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT REQUESTING ANY PAX UP TO RETURN TO THEIR SEAT AND FOR ALL PAX TO CHK AND MAKE SURE THEIR SEAT BELTS WERE SNUGLY FASTENED. AS INCONVENIENT AS IT MAY APPEAR TO CUSTOMERS AND IS TO FLT ATTENDANTS; THE ONLY COURSE OF ACTION IS TO REQUIRE THAT EVERYTHING BE LOCKED DOWN THAT MOVES WITHIN A SPECIFIC TIME FRAME. THE CAPT MUST ENSURE THAT THIS HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED PRIOR TO ENTERING AN AREA OF POSSIBLE TURB.