Narrative:

This report concerns a passenger who broke an ankle bone when our commercial carrier encountered unforecasted turbulence during descent into milan, italy. Our cruising altitude was 28000 ft. We were in smooth conditions above a broken to overcast sky with the seat belt sign off in the area of the elba VOR. 25 mi south of genoa VOR (95 mi south of mxp) we received clearance to descend. Descending to 21000 ft we turned the seat belt sign on with the seat belt announcement. Shortly after that we entered the cloud deck. Radar indicated a scattered band of light shower activity of about 50 percent coverage ahead of us for about 10 mi. As we passed 25000 ft outbound from genoa VOR at about 23000 ft, we encountered moderate turbulence and were in the process of informing the flight attendants to be seated when we encountered a brief but very severe jolt of turbulence -- resulted in a passenger who was not in his seat yet to break his ankle. There was no en route turbulence forecasted for this route. There were temporary thunderstorms predicted for the milan airport. There were no PIREPS of turbulence transmitted to us from other aircraft or from ATC. We were the only english speaking aircraft in the area. All communications were in italian except for ATC communications with our aircraft. After flying through the turbulence we did pick up magenta doppler turbulence returns to our 1-3 O'clock position as we descended below 20000 ft. We visually sighted buildups with tops estimated to be 20000 ft. We may have descended into the top of a buildup that did not show on radar except as light rain showers. We as a crew felt that if english had been spoken to all aircraft we may have heard of the turbulence in the area and that the radar units are excellent but did not help us in this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX INJURED DUE TO SEVERE TURB ON A WDB ACR ACFT DSNDING FROM HIGH ALT.

Narrative: THIS RPT CONCERNS A PAX WHO BROKE AN ANKLE BONE WHEN OUR COMMERCIAL CARRIER ENCOUNTERED UNFORECASTED TURB DURING DSCNT INTO MILAN, ITALY. OUR CRUISING ALT WAS 28000 FT. WE WERE IN SMOOTH CONDITIONS ABOVE A BROKEN TO OVCST SKY WITH THE SEAT BELT SIGN OFF IN THE AREA OF THE ELBA VOR. 25 MI S OF GENOA VOR (95 MI S OF MXP) WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO DSND. DSNDING TO 21000 FT WE TURNED THE SEAT BELT SIGN ON WITH THE SEAT BELT ANNOUNCEMENT. SHORTLY AFTER THAT WE ENTERED THE CLOUD DECK. RADAR INDICATED A SCATTERED BAND OF LIGHT SHOWER ACTIVITY OF ABOUT 50 PERCENT COVERAGE AHEAD OF US FOR ABOUT 10 MI. AS WE PASSED 25000 FT OUTBOUND FROM GENOA VOR AT ABOUT 23000 FT, WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB AND WERE IN THE PROCESS OF INFORMING THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE SEATED WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED A BRIEF BUT VERY SEVERE JOLT OF TURB -- RESULTED IN A PAX WHO WAS NOT IN HIS SEAT YET TO BREAK HIS ANKLE. THERE WAS NO ENRTE TURB FORECASTED FOR THIS RTE. THERE WERE TEMPORARY TSTMS PREDICTED FOR THE MILAN ARPT. THERE WERE NO PIREPS OF TURB XMITTED TO US FROM OTHER ACFT OR FROM ATC. WE WERE THE ONLY ENGLISH SPEAKING ACFT IN THE AREA. ALL COMS WERE IN ITALIAN EXCEPT FOR ATC COMS WITH OUR ACFT. AFTER FLYING THROUGH THE TURB WE DID PICK UP MAGENTA DOPPLER TURB RETURNS TO OUR 1-3 O'CLOCK POS AS WE DSNDED BELOW 20000 FT. WE VISUALLY SIGHTED BUILDUPS WITH TOPS ESTIMATED TO BE 20000 FT. WE MAY HAVE DSNDED INTO THE TOP OF A BUILDUP THAT DID NOT SHOW ON RADAR EXCEPT AS LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS. WE AS A CREW FELT THAT IF ENGLISH HAD BEEN SPOKEN TO ALL ACFT WE MAY HAVE HEARD OF THE TURB IN THE AREA AND THAT THE RADAR UNITS ARE EXCELLENT BUT DID NOT HELP US IN THIS SIT.

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.