Narrative:

While at cruise in smooth air at FL270, encountered 3-4 seconds of what was probably wake turbulence. Seat belt was off and flight attendants were serving beverages. 1 flight attendant was injured, apparently with a wrenched back. Another flight attendant became quite emotionally upset and it was later discovered she had lost a close relative in an aircraft accident. On the ground in orlando I determined neither flight attendant was capable of working the next leg and had them deadhead on the flight to domicile. The upset flight attendant was undergoing therapy by her account and was embarrassed she had lost control. In-flight coordinator was unaware of her history and did not intervene and take charge of occurrence. Someone taking firm charge would have probably helped. We (cockpit) were not fully aware of the full circumstances till on ground. This was a high workload time for us in cockpit flying arrival into orlando. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback with captain revealed that at the start of the flight, he was rushed due to late arrival and quick departure. Consequently he didn't have time to meet and brief his flight attendants as he normally does. Then, when the wake encounter occurred and flight attendants were injured, the flight attendant responsible for coordination with the cockpit didn't inform them of the injuries. Had he known he would have asked for expedited handling. Especially when he found one of the flight attendants in the rear of the cabin after the passenger deplaned in a fetal position and totally stressed. She had recently lost a relative in an aircraft accident and had been in therapy. The wake was enough to put her over the edge. Captain also states that the flight crew could have inquired if anyone was hurt as a result of the encounter.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: L1011-1 ACFT IN CRUISE ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB OF SHORT DURATION, BUT RESULTED IN CABIN ATTENDANT INJURY AND MENTAL STRESS.

Narrative: WHILE AT CRUISE IN SMOOTH AIR AT FL270, ENCOUNTERED 3-4 SECONDS OF WHAT WAS PROBABLY WAKE TURB. SEAT BELT WAS OFF AND FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SERVING BEVERAGES. 1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS INJURED, APPARENTLY WITH A WRENCHED BACK. ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT BECAME QUITE EMOTIONALLY UPSET AND IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED SHE HAD LOST A CLOSE RELATIVE IN AN ACFT ACCIDENT. ON THE GND IN ORLANDO I DETERMINED NEITHER FLT ATTENDANT WAS CAPABLE OF WORKING THE NEXT LEG AND HAD THEM DEADHEAD ON THE FLT TO DOMICILE. THE UPSET FLT ATTENDANT WAS UNDERGOING THERAPY BY HER ACCOUNT AND WAS EMBARRASSED SHE HAD LOST CTL. INFLT COORDINATOR WAS UNAWARE OF HER HISTORY AND DID NOT INTERVENE AND TAKE CHARGE OF OCCURRENCE. SOMEONE TAKING FIRM CHARGE WOULD HAVE PROBABLY HELPED. WE (COCKPIT) WERE NOT FULLY AWARE OF THE FULL CIRCUMSTANCES TILL ON GND. THIS WAS A HIGH WORKLOAD TIME FOR US IN COCKPIT FLYING ARR INTO ORLANDO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK WITH CAPT REVEALED THAT AT THE START OF THE FLT, HE WAS RUSHED DUE TO LATE ARR AND QUICK DEP. CONSEQUENTLY HE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO MEET AND BRIEF HIS FLT ATTENDANTS AS HE NORMALLY DOES. THEN, WHEN THE WAKE ENCOUNTER OCCURRED AND FLT ATTENDANTS WERE INJURED, THE FLT ATTENDANT RESPONSIBLE FOR COORD WITH THE COCKPIT DIDN'T INFORM THEM OF THE INJURIES. HAD HE KNOWN HE WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR EXPEDITED HANDLING. ESPECIALLY WHEN HE FOUND ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE REAR OF THE CABIN AFTER THE PAX DEPLANED IN A FETAL POS AND TOTALLY STRESSED. SHE HAD RECENTLY LOST A RELATIVE IN AN ACFT ACCIDENT AND HAD BEEN IN THERAPY. THE WAKE WAS ENOUGH TO PUT HER OVER THE EDGE. CAPT ALSO STATES THAT THE FLC COULD HAVE INQUIRED IF ANYONE WAS HURT AS A RESULT OF THE ENCOUNTER.

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.