Air carrier flight crew and cabin crew members experienced moderate to severe turbulence during thei...

Attributes
ACN	326010
Time
Date	199601
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fnt airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid enroute airway : zob
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	326010
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 85
ASRS Report	326293
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On climb out from detroit to toronto we were cleared to FL220 but we were told that other flts had experienced moderate turbulence above 17000 ft. We were initiating a request for a lower altitude for cruise and were level at 15000 ft when we ran into an area of severe turbulence. We immediately requested a lower altitude and leveled off at a cruise altitude of 11000 ft. At 11000 ft we had a smooth ride. We called back to check on the status of the flight attendants and passenger and were informed that the passenger were ok, but several of the flight attendants had been shaken up. They did not request or require medical assistance. Closer to toronto the lead attendant requested a paramedic at toronto. We requested one. We wrote up the aircraft for a turbulence inspection and no structural damage was found. Before the flight, I briefed the flight attendants about turbulence at higher altitudes and warned them that even though meteorology had not forecast bumps at lower levels, turbulence was highly probable. The climb out from detroit was a little bumpy (light turbulence) from the surface to 5000 ft. At that point we broke into the clear and the ride was smooth. We remained in the clear and had a smooth ride until we hit the wall of turbulence. To avoid this in the future we need better information on frontal turbulence. It is difficult to predict exactly where turbulence is going to occur but our information on turbulence was a couple of hours old. Airlines should restrict flight attendant movement in the cabin during climbs and dscnts. Once a flight is level in cruise it is possible to get meaningful PIREPS on ride reports. During climbs and dscnts in the proximity of airports it is difficult to get meaningful reports and much harder to circumnav bad WX if it is there. Best policy, flight attendants in their seats except during cruise.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC AND CABIN CREW MEMBERS EXPERIENCED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB DURING THEIR FLT'S DEP FROM DTW. THE FLC REQUESTED A LOWER CRUISE ALT AND CHKED ON THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX. AS THE FLT PROGRESSED, THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT REQUESTED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS AT THE DEST. THE ACFT WAS ALSO WRITTEN UP FOR A TURB INSPECTION. NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS FOUND.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM DETROIT TO TORONTO WE WERE CLRED TO FL220 BUT WE WERE TOLD THAT OTHER FLTS HAD EXPERIENCED MODERATE TURB ABOVE 17000 FT. WE WERE INITIATING A REQUEST FOR A LOWER ALT FOR CRUISE AND WERE LEVEL AT 15000 FT WHEN WE RAN INTO AN AREA OF SEVERE TURB. WE IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED A LOWER ALT AND LEVELED OFF AT A CRUISE ALT OF 11000 FT. AT 11000 FT WE HAD A SMOOTH RIDE. WE CALLED BACK TO CHK ON THE STATUS OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX AND WERE INFORMED THAT THE PAX WERE OK, BUT SEVERAL OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD BEEN SHAKEN UP. THEY DID NOT REQUEST OR REQUIRE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. CLOSER TO TORONTO THE LEAD ATTENDANT REQUESTED A PARAMEDIC AT TORONTO. WE REQUESTED ONE. WE WROTE UP THE ACFT FOR A TURB INSPECTION AND NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS FOUND. BEFORE THE FLT, I BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT TURB AT HIGHER ALTS AND WARNED THEM THAT EVEN THOUGH METEOROLOGY HAD NOT FORECAST BUMPS AT LOWER LEVELS, TURB WAS HIGHLY PROBABLE. THE CLB OUT FROM DETROIT WAS A LITTLE BUMPY (LIGHT TURB) FROM THE SURFACE TO 5000 FT. AT THAT POINT WE BROKE INTO THE CLR AND THE RIDE WAS SMOOTH. WE REMAINED IN THE CLR AND HAD A SMOOTH RIDE UNTIL WE HIT THE WALL OF TURB. TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE WE NEED BETTER INFO ON FRONTAL TURB. IT IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT EXACTLY WHERE TURB IS GOING TO OCCUR BUT OUR INFO ON TURB WAS A COUPLE OF HRS OLD. AIRLINES SHOULD RESTRICT FLT ATTENDANT MOVEMENT IN THE CABIN DURING CLBS AND DSCNTS. ONCE A FLT IS LEVEL IN CRUISE IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET MEANINGFUL PIREPS ON RIDE RPTS. DURING CLBS AND DSCNTS IN THE PROX OF ARPTS IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET MEANINGFUL RPTS AND MUCH HARDER TO CIRCUMNAV BAD WX IF IT IS THERE. BEST POLICY, FLT ATTENDANTS IN THEIR SEATS EXCEPT DURING CRUISE.

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.