A short burst of severe turbulence causes injury to flight attendant.

Attributes
ACN	239909
Time
Date	199304
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9800 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 4550 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	239909
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were cruising at 10000 ft in occasional light turbulence. As turbulence started to increase, the captain told the flight attendant to go ahead and prepare for landing because of expected turbulence at lower altitudes. We had just started our descent out of 10000 ft when we encountered a severe jolt that lasted less than 2 seconds which injured our flight attendant's back. We declared a medical emergency and landed without incident. Flight attendant was x-rayed, having no broken bones and was not hospitalized.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SHORT BURST OF SEVERE TURB CAUSES INJURY TO FLT ATTENDANT.

Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING AT 10000 FT IN OCCASIONAL LIGHT TURB. AS TURB STARTED TO INCREASE, THE CAPT TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANT TO GO AHEAD AND PREPARE FOR LNDG BECAUSE OF EXPECTED TURB AT LOWER ALTS. WE HAD JUST STARTED OUR DSCNT OUT OF 10000 FT WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE JOLT THAT LASTED LESS THAN 2 SECONDS WHICH INJURED OUR FLT ATTENDANT'S BACK. WE DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. FLT ATTENDANT WAS X-RAYED, HAVING NO BROKEN BONES AND WAS NOT HOSPITALIZED.

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.