CABIN ATTENDANTS INJURED WHEN A DSNDING MD80 FLT UNEXPECTEDLY RUNS INTO CLOUD GENERATED TURB ON A NIGHT OP INTO DFW; TX.

Date: 2003-06 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: descent

Anomalies: flight-deck-cabin-aircraft-event-other-unknown|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

Synopsis

CABIN ATTENDANTS INJURED WHEN A DSNDING MD80 FLT UNEXPECTEDLY RUNS INTO CLOUD GENERATED TURB ON A NIGHT OP INTO DFW; TX.

Narrative

LOCATION: DFW. ON APCH DSCNT TO DFW WE WERE DEVIATING TO THE S OF A TSTM LOCATED TO THE W AND NW OF THE ARPT. RADAR AND LIGHTNING INDICATED THAT THE WX COULD CREATE SOME TURB; 'BUMPS;' DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. SO I PHONED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND WARNED HER; 'IT COULD GET BUMPY.' SHE PHONED THE OTHER 2 FLT ATTENDANTS AND PASSED THE WORD. 1 MIN AFTER THAT CALL; WE ENTERED CLOUDS WHICH I DID NOT SEE IN TIME TO AVOID. THE RADAR DID NOT INDICATE ACTIVITY THERE -- I COULD SEE THE GND -- AND THE DARKNESS OBSCURED THE CLOUDS. WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB THAT SHOOK THE PLANE FOR APPROX 30-45 SECONDS. UPON EXITING THE TURB; ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS PHONED TO SAY SHE WAS HURT AND HAD PROBABLY BROKEN HER ANKLE AND WOULD NEED ASSISTANCE UPON ARR. I REQUESTED APCH TO PHONE AHEAD FOR PARAMEDICS TO MEET THE ACFT AT OUR GATE. I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE CABIN'S OCCUPANTS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PAX APPEARED UNHARMED BUT THAT THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT IN THE BACK ALSO HAD INJURED AN ANKLE. BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ACFT IN FRONT OF US FOR LNDG; WE ALREADY HAD A FAVORABLE RWY ASSIGNMENT; ATC KNEW WE HAD A PROB; AND BECAUSE I THOUGHT DOING SO WOULD UNNECESSARILY COMPLICATE MATTERS; I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. MY #1 FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME LATER THAT THE WARNING I PASSED GAVE HER TIME TO SEAT 2 PAX THAT WERE STANDING NEAR THE LAVATORY. EVERYONE BUT THE 2 INJURED FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SEATED AND BELTED. (THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS ON.) THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT QUERIED EACH ROW OF PAX AS TO THEIR CONDITION AND ALL RPTED 'OK.'

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