Narrative:

Line of thunderstorms wnw by ese in the area off our left, stretching off towards msy. Prepared the cabin to transition the line of WX with seat belt sign on, no smoking sign on, announcement made to the passenger to reinforce the condition and the F/a's in their jump seats and buckled up. Found a 40 mi hold between a building cumulus on the right and a dissipating cell on the left and entered an obscured layer between them. Transition was smooth for the first half of the transition, with no turbulence reported in the area. Then a slight updraft followed by a moderate to severe jolt was experienced, followed by an immediate drop of 250-300. Anything not anchored flew to the ceiling, light to moderate turbulence was encountered as the aircraft entered a severe downdraft, 2500 FPM rate of descent, trading off airspeed for altitude down to 35,700', with controller approval. Climbed back up to 37,000'. Second officer went back to check for injuries, or damage and nothing warranted an immediate landing. Sfo and ord were advised, landed under amber alert, with 2 deadheading pilots stationed at wing trailing edge as flap deployment advisors, via F/a to second officer on interphone. Landing normal, except #1 engine did not go into reverse. Paramedics met the aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 113157: it could possibly have been prevented if there was more crew interaction. Captain did not acknowledge suggestions from crew on previous legs, nor include the crew in any decision making process. Did not think female crew members (captain) qualified in the cockpit and made remarks to the fact they were competing with male pilots by wearing the uniform hat!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB AIR CARRIER FLT EXPERIENCES SEVERE DOWNDRAFT WHILE TRANSITING AREA BETWEEN 2 THUNDER CELLS, PAX INJURED.

Narrative: LINE OF TSTMS WNW BY ESE IN THE AREA OFF OUR LEFT, STRETCHING OFF TOWARDS MSY. PREPARED THE CABIN TO TRANSITION THE LINE OF WX WITH SEAT BELT SIGN ON, NO SMOKING SIGN ON, ANNOUNCEMENT MADE TO THE PAX TO REINFORCE THE CONDITION AND THE F/A'S IN THEIR JUMP SEATS AND BUCKLED UP. FOUND A 40 MI HOLD BETWEEN A BUILDING CUMULUS ON THE RIGHT AND A DISSIPATING CELL ON THE LEFT AND ENTERED AN OBSCURED LAYER BETWEEN THEM. TRANSITION WAS SMOOTH FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE TRANSITION, WITH NO TURBULENCE REPORTED IN THE AREA. THEN A SLIGHT UPDRAFT FOLLOWED BY A MODERATE TO SEVERE JOLT WAS EXPERIENCED, FOLLOWED BY AN IMMEDIATE DROP OF 250-300. ANYTHING NOT ANCHORED FLEW TO THE CEILING, LIGHT TO MODERATE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED AS THE ACFT ENTERED A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT, 2500 FPM RATE OF DSCNT, TRADING OFF AIRSPEED FOR ALT DOWN TO 35,700', WITH CTLR APPROVAL. CLIMBED BACK UP TO 37,000'. S/O WENT BACK TO CHECK FOR INJURIES, OR DAMAGE AND NOTHING WARRANTED AN IMMEDIATE LNDG. SFO AND ORD WERE ADVISED, LANDED UNDER AMBER ALERT, WITH 2 DEADHEADING PLTS STATIONED AT WING TRAILING EDGE AS FLAP DEPLOYMENT ADVISORS, VIA F/A TO S/O ON INTERPHONE. LNDG NORMAL, EXCEPT #1 ENGINE DID NOT GO INTO REVERSE. PARAMEDICS MET THE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 113157: IT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THERE WAS MORE CREW INTERACTION. CAPT DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE SUGGESTIONS FROM CREW ON PREVIOUS LEGS, NOR INCLUDE THE CREW IN ANY DECISION MAKING PROCESS. DID NOT THINK FEMALE CREW MEMBERS (CAPT) QUALIFIED IN THE COCKPIT AND MADE REMARKS TO THE FACT THEY WERE COMPETING WITH MALE PLTS BY WEARING THE UNIFORM HAT!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.