2000-12 · NASA ASRS report 495830
A B737-400 PIC RPT ON 2 FLT ATTENDANT INJURIES RECEIVED DURING DSCNT AND HIS FAILURE TO FULLY COMPREHEND HIS RESPONSIBILITIES UPON LNDG AT BWI AFTER SEVERE TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED AT 15000 FT S OF OTT; MD.
WHILE DSNDING THROUGH 15000 FT MSL S OF OTT ON THE OTT 5 ARR TO BWI; WE HAD 2 EPISODES OF WHAT I CONSIDERED SEVERE TURB. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO DSND AND THE TURB CAUSED US TO CLB WITH SEVERAL HARD JOLTS. I HAD BEEN ON AUTOPLT AND DISENGAGED IT WITH THE ONSET OF TURB. THE FIRST EPISODE LASTED SEVERAL SECONDS AND; AS THE DSCNT CONTINUED SEVERAL HUNDRED FT LOWER; ANOTHER SIMILAR EPISODE. WE HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING CHOP AND TURB THROUGHOUT THE FLT AND HAD MADE SEVERAL PA'S TO THAT EFFECT AND HAD THE SEATBELT SIGN ILLUMINATED. WE WERE IN VMC AND HAD THE SPD UP FOR SPACING (APPROX 310 KIAS). AT FIRST SIGN OF TURB; I WENT IDLE; SPD BRAKE; AND SLOWED TO 250 KIAS AND ADVISED ATC (WASHINGTON APCH CTL). I HAD THE FO CHK WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO MAKE SURE THE PAX AND THEY (THE FLT ATTENDANTS) WERE OK. IT TOOK SOME TIME TO CHK (SEVERAL MINS) AND THEY RPTED ALL PAX OK; BUT THAT AN AFT FLT ATTENDANT HAD HIT HER HEAD. FO CONTINUED TO STAY ON INTERCOM (WHILE I FLEW) TO CHK ON HER STATUS. THE WORD THAT I WAS GETTING WAS THAT SHE WAS OK. I HAD FO ASK IF SHE WANTED PARAMEDICS TO MEET ACFT. AFTER SEVERAL MINS THEY RESPONDED TO THE AFFIRMATIVE. WHEN WE SWITCHED TO TWR CTL FREQ; WE ADVISED THEM TO ALERT PARAMEDICS. THE DEMEANOR OF LEAD FLT ATTENDANT AND APPARENT LACK OF CONCERN LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT NO SERIOUS INJURY HAD OCCURRED. (IN FACT; LATER ON 1 FLT ATTENDANT COMMENTED 'WE CALLED PARAMEDICS JUST IN CASE THE NEXT MORNING I COULDN'T GET OUT OF BED.') WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND; THE FO ADVISED OPS OF THE SIT AND; AT THE GATE; THE PARAMEDICS WERE WAITING. I NEVER DECLARED AN EMER AND; THEREFORE; DIDN'T CALL THE DISPATCHER TO ADVISE. I HAD A TIGHT CONNECTION FOR A COMMUTE FLT HOME; SO I CHKED WITH THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT AND PARAMEDICS AND RECEIVED INFO THAT THE 'HEAD BANGER' WOULD BE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOR OBSERVATION BUT DIDN'T APPEAR SERIOUS. BASED ON THIS LEVEL OF CONCERN; I LEFT FOR MY FLT (SINCE PAX WERE STILL DEPLANING AND I COULDN'T GET BACK TO TALK TO HER FACE-TO-FACE). I FILED AN ASR FOR THE SEVERE TURB; BUT FAILED TO MAKE A LOGBOOK WRITE-UP. THE PLANE WAS GNDED FOR INSPECTION AND FDR PULLED. AFTER NON REVENUING HOME; I HAD NUMEROUS CALLS FROM DISPATCH; CHIEF PLT; AND FLT SAFETY. IT WAS THEN THAT I FOUND THAT A SECOND FLT ATTENDANT HAD ALSO BUMPED HER HEAD. THIS EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCURATE COM FROM THE BACK END. I BASED ALL MY DECISIONS ON THE LEVEL OF CONCERN I WAS RECEIVING AND DIDN'T GET A CLR PICTURE OF WHAT HAPPENED. HAD I KNOWN; I WOULD HAVE ACCOMPANIED FLT ATTENDANTS TO HOSPITAL AND MISSED MY FLT. IN MY FLT EXPERIENCE; THIS WAS MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH WHAT I CONSIDERED SEVERE (BECAUSE OF MOMENTARY LACK OF CTL) AND I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THE REQUIRED LOGBOOK WRITE-UP. ALSO; FROM NOW ON (CYA) I WILL ALWAYS CALL DISPATCHER AFTER NON NORMAL EVENTS.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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