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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Passenger complaints of minor discomfort and injured cabin attendant due to an encounter with severe turbulence on the climb out, while deviating around WX in a B737-200 from atl.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 367307 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199704 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : atl |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 7000 |
| ASRS Report | 367307 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Climbing through 24000 ft, atl to iah. Center advised deviations around WX was approved. On my radar, on 20 NM scope, only very light rain was showing in 3 spots, no larger than a finger print on the screen. My first officer turned right to avoid, (going between two of the returns). (No way was the radar attenuating because there were no thunderstorms or chop.) the radar screen was black except for the 3 small green areas described (one of the spots had a hint of yellow but that one was on the far left, totally avoided.) none of the returns was larger than 1-3 NM wide. Abeam the rain shower, 3 jolts of moderate to severe turbulence occurred with a total duration of no more than 7-10 seconds. The seat belt sign was still on so no passenger were up, but a flight attendant aft was lifted off the floor and slammed against the galley door, apparently breaking his ankle. Upon being told of this and of 2 passenger with mild, unspecific complaints of 'pulled muscle' or 'aching shoulder,' I did a 'medlink' hookup via commercial radio and dispatch in accordance with procedures. Medlink advised continuation to houston ok with application of ice to injured areas. Medical emergency was declared with ZHU (to prevent arrival delays). Paramedics met flight at iah gate. Passenger declined treatment, but flight attendant was taken via ambulance for xrays. As far as I know, no FARS were broken. Aircraft was inspected for turbulence damage (none found). Chief pilot advised NASA report. Crew continued duty day.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PAX COMPLAINTS OF MINOR DISCOMFORT AND INJURED CABIN ATTENDANT DUE TO AN ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE TURB ON THE CLB OUT, WHILE DEVIATING AROUND WX IN A B737-200 FROM ATL.
Narrative: CLBING THROUGH 24000 FT, ATL TO IAH. CTR ADVISED DEVS AROUND WX WAS APPROVED. ON MY RADAR, ON 20 NM SCOPE, ONLY VERY LIGHT RAIN WAS SHOWING IN 3 SPOTS, NO LARGER THAN A FINGER PRINT ON THE SCREEN. MY FO TURNED R TO AVOID, (GOING BTWN TWO OF THE RETURNS). (NO WAY WAS THE RADAR ATTENUATING BECAUSE THERE WERE NO TSTMS OR CHOP.) THE RADAR SCREEN WAS BLACK EXCEPT FOR THE 3 SMALL GREEN AREAS DESCRIBED (ONE OF THE SPOTS HAD A HINT OF YELLOW BUT THAT ONE WAS ON THE FAR L, TOTALLY AVOIDED.) NONE OF THE RETURNS WAS LARGER THAN 1-3 NM WIDE. ABEAM THE RAIN SHOWER, 3 JOLTS OF MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB OCCURRED WITH A TOTAL DURATION OF NO MORE THAN 7-10 SECONDS. THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS STILL ON SO NO PAX WERE UP, BUT A FLT ATTENDANT AFT WAS LIFTED OFF THE FLOOR AND SLAMMED AGAINST THE GALLEY DOOR, APPARENTLY BREAKING HIS ANKLE. UPON BEING TOLD OF THIS AND OF 2 PAX WITH MILD, UNSPECIFIC COMPLAINTS OF 'PULLED MUSCLE' OR 'ACHING SHOULDER,' I DID A 'MEDLINK' HOOKUP VIA COMMERCIAL RADIO AND DISPATCH IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROCS. MEDLINK ADVISED CONTINUATION TO HOUSTON OK WITH APPLICATION OF ICE TO INJURED AREAS. MEDICAL EMER WAS DECLARED WITH ZHU (TO PREVENT ARR DELAYS). PARAMEDICS MET FLT AT IAH GATE. PAX DECLINED TREATMENT, BUT FLT ATTENDANT WAS TAKEN VIA AMBULANCE FOR XRAYS. AS FAR AS I KNOW, NO FARS WERE BROKEN. ACFT WAS INSPECTED FOR TURB DAMAGE (NONE FOUND). CHIEF PLT ADVISED NASA RPT. CREW CONTINUED DUTY DAY.
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.