Narrative:

7/fri/90, I was flying a company trip as a first officer. On this leg of the trip from apa to iad, I was in the left seat flying the aircraft with the PIC, my direction of flight operations in the right seat. After taxiing to runway 17L, tower advised of an ATC rerte for WX (the east gate was closed for WX). After copying our new routing, we took off and were instructed to turn 330 degrees and maintain 8000'. We contacted den departure and were issued climb clearance to 10000' on the 330 degree heading. At 10000' we were under the clouds in light rain with maybe 30 mi visibility. Departure instructed us to climb. The captain requested that we be permitted to remain at 1000' until clear of the WX. We were handed off to ZDV who gave us a right turn in the northeast direction toward sydney VOR. At this time, there were numerous cells painting on our radar to the east of our 330 degrees heading toward sydney VOR. The depiction indicated sufficient sep to avoid the turbulence. Accordingly, the new heading was accepted along with a climb to FL320. We entered the clouds and experienced moderate to severe turbulence with heavy rain. With the aircraft at turbulence penetration speed and approximately 5 degrees of pitch, we were seeing an upward vertical velocity of better than 400 FPM. I suggested to the captain to ask for higher, as it was going to be difficult to level off at FL230. Center then cleared us to FL290. As we were climbing to FL290, we broke out of the clouds and saw 2 buildups at our 12 O'clock position. The captain received permission to deviate north of course, and we attempted to climb between the 2 buildups. We were unable to avoid penetrating and encountered more turn. Upon breaking into the clear one of our passenger came to the cockpit and advised us that our F/a had broken his ankle. The F/a left his seat when he saw blue sky through the cabin window, even though the fasten seat belt sign was still on. The captain advised ZDV of our problem and advised them we were going back to apa. He did not declare an emergency with center, as he had called back to the FBO to have an ambulance standing by. The first officer should not have left his seat. We must improve our company policy re: the activities of our flight personnel to ensure that F/a's return to their seats when the fasten seat belt sign is on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENCOUNTER TURBULENCE. FA NOT IN SEAT AS SIGN INDICATES, BREAKS ANKLE.

Narrative: 7/FRI/90, I WAS FLYING A COMPANY TRIP AS A F/O. ON THIS LEG OF THE TRIP FROM APA TO IAD, I WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT FLYING THE ACFT WITH THE PIC, MY DIRECTION OF FLT OPS IN THE RIGHT SEAT. AFTER TAXIING TO RWY 17L, TWR ADVISED OF AN ATC RERTE FOR WX (THE E GATE WAS CLOSED FOR WX). AFTER COPYING OUR NEW RTING, WE TOOK OFF AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN 330 DEGS AND MAINTAIN 8000'. WE CONTACTED DEN DEP AND WERE ISSUED CLB CLRNC TO 10000' ON THE 330 DEG HDG. AT 10000' WE WERE UNDER THE CLOUDS IN LIGHT RAIN WITH MAYBE 30 MI VISIBILITY. DEP INSTRUCTED US TO CLB. THE CAPT REQUESTED THAT WE BE PERMITTED TO REMAIN AT 1000' UNTIL CLR OF THE WX. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ZDV WHO GAVE US A RIGHT TURN IN THE NE DIRECTION TOWARD SYDNEY VOR. AT THIS TIME, THERE WERE NUMEROUS CELLS PAINTING ON OUR RADAR TO THE E OF OUR 330 DEGS HDG TOWARD SYDNEY VOR. THE DEPICTION INDICATED SUFFICIENT SEP TO AVOID THE TURB. ACCORDINGLY, THE NEW HDG WAS ACCEPTED ALONG WITH A CLB TO FL320. WE ENTERED THE CLOUDS AND EXPERIENCED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB WITH HEAVY RAIN. WITH THE ACFT AT TURB PENETRATION SPD AND APPROX 5 DEGS OF PITCH, WE WERE SEEING AN UPWARD VERTICAL VELOCITY OF BETTER THAN 400 FPM. I SUGGESTED TO THE CAPT TO ASK FOR HIGHER, AS IT WAS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT TO LEVEL OFF AT FL230. CENTER THEN CLRED US TO FL290. AS WE WERE CLBING TO FL290, WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND SAW 2 BUILDUPS AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS. THE CAPT RECEIVED PERMISSION TO DEVIATE N OF COURSE, AND WE ATTEMPTED TO CLB BTWN THE 2 BUILDUPS. WE WERE UNABLE TO AVOID PENETRATING AND ENCOUNTERED MORE TURN. UPON BREAKING INTO THE CLR ONE OF OUR PAX CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED US THAT OUR F/A HAD BROKEN HIS ANKLE. THE F/A LEFT HIS SEAT WHEN HE SAW BLUE SKY THROUGH THE CABIN WINDOW, EVEN THOUGH THE FASTEN SEAT BELT SIGN WAS STILL ON. THE CAPT ADVISED ZDV OF OUR PROB AND ADVISED THEM WE WERE GOING BACK TO APA. HE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER WITH CENTER, AS HE HAD CALLED BACK TO THE FBO TO HAVE AN AMBULANCE STANDING BY. THE F/O SHOULD NOT HAVE LEFT HIS SEAT. WE MUST IMPROVE OUR COMPANY POLICY RE: THE ACTIVITIES OF OUR FLT PERSONNEL TO ENSURE THAT F/A'S RETURN TO THEIR SEATS WHEN THE FASTEN SEAT BELT SIGN IS ON.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.