MD80 CREW ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB WHEN THEY PENETRATED A TSTM CELL IN ZDV CLASS A. 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SERIOUSLY HURT.

Date: 2003-08 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

Synopsis

MD80 CREW ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB WHEN THEY PENETRATED A TSTM CELL IN ZDV CLASS A. 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SERIOUSLY HURT.

Narrative

DURING CRUISE FLT AT FL330; FLT ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB. WE WERE APPROX 60 MI SW OF CYS AT THE TIME OF THE ENCOUNTER. WE WERE DEVIATING TO THE S TO AVOID WX WE WERE PAINTING ON OUR WX RADAR. WE NOTED WX WAS JUST E OF CYS. AT THE TIME; WE WERE FLYING IN A HAZE LAYER (OBSCURATION). THE DEV POSITIONED US AT LEAST 20 MI S OF NOTED WX. AT THIS TIME; THE SEATBELT SIGN HAD BEEN ON FOR APPROX 20 MINS. WE WERE NOT EXPERIENCING ANY SIGNIFICANT TURB; BUT HAD SEATBELT SIGN ON DUE TO RELATIVE PROX TO NOTED WX IN ADDITION TO THE FLT BEING IN OBSCURED CONDITIONS. JUST PRIOR TO THE ENCOUNTER; WE BROKE OUT OF OBSCURATION. DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US UPON BREAKING OUT WAS A CUMULUS CLOUD; WHICH WE ATTEMPTED TO BUT WERE UNABLE TO AVOID; (FLT PATH WENT THROUGH THE UPPER R QUADRANT OF CLOUD). WE DID NOT DETECT THIS BUILDUP ON OUR WX RADAR. UPON ENTERING THE CLOUD; WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB. AFTER THE ENCOUNTER I (CAPT) IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT. SHE INDICATED THAT SHE WAS NOT HURT. SHE THEN CALLED BACK AND INFORMED ME THAT FLT ATTENDANTS #1A AND #2 WERE SERIOUSLY HURT. I DECLARED AN EMER AND WE DIVERTED TO DEN WHERE PARAMEDICS WERE STANDING BY.

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