FLT ATTENDANT INJURY OCCURS WITH A SUBSEQUENT DIVERSION TO DEN WHEN AN ACR PAX JET EXPERIENCES MODERATE TURB NEAR FMN; NM.
Synopsis
FLT ATTENDANT INJURY OCCURS WITH A SUBSEQUENT DIVERSION TO DEN WHEN AN ACR PAX JET EXPERIENCES MODERATE TURB NEAR FMN; NM.
Narrative
FLT FROM PHX TO BDL. DURING CLB ON SILOW DEP (APPROX FL250); CREW REQUESTED DEV AROUND SIGNIFICANT CUMULO NIMBUS BUILD UPS. HDG ALTERED TO THE R (ON AUTOPLT). WHILE DEVIATING; CREW NOTED AN ANCILLIARY BUILDUP ON RADAR (GREEN AND YELLOW). CREW CONTINUED DEV ATTEMPT FURTHER R TO AVOID. AT TIME OF DETECTION OF SECONDARY (SMALL) RETURN; WE RESET HDG TO AUTOPLT ENGAGED. APPROX DISTANCE FROM SECONDARY RETURN LESS THAN 10 NM. CREW DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT TO EXPEDITE TURN DUE TO CLOSENESS OF WX. WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB IN VICINITY OF THIS SECONDARY RETURN. THE NATURE OF THIS TURB WAS SUDDEN AND SHARP AS OPPOSED TO A MORE MUTED TYPE THAT WE GENERALLY ENCOUNTER (SIMILAR TO XING JET WAKE TURB FROM A XING ACFT). APPROX 10 MINS LATER; FLT ATTENDANTS CONTACTED US WITH RPTED INJURY TO THIRD FLT ATTENDANT. SHE RPTED FALLING AS A RESULT OF TURB. SHE WAS EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT; SHARP PAIN; AND COULD NOT PUT WT ON HER FOOT. FLT DECK ATTEMPTED USE OF CAM NET FOR APPROX 10 MINS TO CONTACT PHX WITH NO SUCCESS. WE FINALLY USED COMMERCIAL RADIO AND RECEIVED A CALL FROM PHX. WE RPTED THE MANIFESTATIONS OF THE INJURY TO THE EXTENT THAT WE LEARNED THOSE FACTS (SIGNIFICANT PAIN; NO WT BEARING CAPACITY; ETC). SOCAL RECOMMENDED THAT WE CONTINUE TO BDL WITH FLT ATTENDANT REMAINING SEATED. WE PASSED THAT INFO TO FLT ATTENDANT; WHO INITIALLY AGREED TO SAME. UPON SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION WITH HER; WE RE-CONTACTED SOCAL AND SUGGESTED THAT SHE WAS ENCOUNTERING SERIOUS PAIN; AND WE/SHE THOUGHT WE SHOULD GET HER ON THE GND FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. SOCAL CONCURRED WITH OUR REQUEST AND AUTHORIZED DIVERSION TO DEN. DURING OUR CLBOUT; WE HAD INITIALLY NOT ANTICIPATED ANY EXCEPTIONAL WX PROBS AS WE HAD GOOD VISUAL REFS. WE HAD THE SEATBELT SIGN ON; RADAR ON AND WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DIVERTING AROUND IDENTED WX RETURNS (FROM BOTH VISUAL AND RADAR OBSERVATION). WE REFERRED TO THE QRH; AMM; FOM; SOCAL FOR SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE REGARDING THE EVENTUAL OVERWT LNDG TO BE MADE IN DEN (LNDG WT AT DEN APPROX 148.5 LBS VERSUS MLW OF 142.2 LBS). THE ABOVE GUIDANCE (INCLUDING MAINT CTL) PROVIDED THAT WE COULD SAFELY ACCOMPLISH THIS LNDG. THE GUIDANCE PROVIDED THAT WE SHOULD AVOID TOUCHDOWN WITH VELOCITY OF GREATER THAN 360 FPM. WE TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROX 200 FPM. I ELECTED TO DELCARE AN EMER AS A PRECAUTION; IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT WE WERE STILL EXCEEDING A STRUCTURAL LIMITATION. WE ADVISED ATC OF THIS FACT. LNDG AND TAXI-IN WERE NORMAL. NOTE: DURING THE FACT GATHERING; FOLLOWING THE INJURY; I INITIALLY ADVISED ATC THAT WE HAD ENCOUNTERED A TURB RELATED INJURY TO THE FLT ATTENDANT; CREW MEMBER. I INDICATED THAT WE MAY REQUEST A DIVERSION FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE WHEN WE OBTAINED AN ACCURATE STATUS OF THE FLT ATTENDANT; THUS; THEY WERE ALREADY ON NOTICE OF A POTENTIAL DIVERT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.