Narrative:

I was the PNF on a scheduled flight from mht to lga when we encountered 1 bump of severe turbulence. The flight attendant and 2 passenger received slight/minor injuries that did not require immediate medical attention. We had been cruising at 10000 ft when we received a clearance to descend to 8000 ft approximately 20 NM south of gdm VOR on V229. At 10000 ft we were above a cloud layer and encountered occasional light turbulence. Our flight attendant had started the beverage service with the seatbelt sign on, so as the passenger would remain seated with their seatbelts on while she was serving. As we descended, the captain slowed the aircraft expecting the ride to become somewhat bumpy as we flew through the clouds. At approximately 9000 ft we encountered 1 bump of severe turbulence. Once level at 8000 ft, we were in the clear of any clouds and had a smooth ride. The flight attendant hit her head on the ceiling and received a bump on her knee from the beverage cart. 1 passenger received a bump on her head from the beverage cart and another passenger complained that her tailbone hurt. Upon arrival at lga, both passenger refused medical treatment and continued on to their connecting flts. Our flight attendant was checked by emt's at lga and was found to be ok, other than a small bump on her head and on her knee. All appropriate company reports were filled out and sent to company headquarters and the aircraft was inspected prior to the next flight. Flying turboprops in the northeast, we often fly at lower altitudes (ATC restrs on rtes) and encounter light to moderate turbulence when flying through clouds and cloud layers. I don't know if this situation could have been avoided because we had no indication that we would encounter this severe turbulence. We had reviewed all appropriate WX documents and reports prior to our flight and found nothing to warn us of severe turbulence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BRIEF ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE TURB DURING DSCNT OF AN ACR DHC8-102 CAUSED MINOR INJURY TO THE FLT ATTENDANT AND 2 PAX.

Narrative: I WAS THE PNF ON A SCHEDULED FLT FROM MHT TO LGA WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED 1 BUMP OF SEVERE TURB. THE FLT ATTENDANT AND 2 PAX RECEIVED SLIGHT/MINOR INJURIES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTN. WE HAD BEEN CRUISING AT 10000 FT WHEN WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO DSND TO 8000 FT APPROX 20 NM S OF GDM VOR ON V229. AT 10000 FT WE WERE ABOVE A CLOUD LAYER AND ENCOUNTERED OCCASIONAL LIGHT TURB. OUR FLT ATTENDANT HAD STARTED THE BEVERAGE SVC WITH THE SEATBELT SIGN ON, SO AS THE PAX WOULD REMAIN SEATED WITH THEIR SEATBELTS ON WHILE SHE WAS SERVING. AS WE DSNDED, THE CAPT SLOWED THE ACFT EXPECTING THE RIDE TO BECOME SOMEWHAT BUMPY AS WE FLEW THROUGH THE CLOUDS. AT APPROX 9000 FT WE ENCOUNTERED 1 BUMP OF SEVERE TURB. ONCE LEVEL AT 8000 FT, WE WERE IN THE CLR OF ANY CLOUDS AND HAD A SMOOTH RIDE. THE FLT ATTENDANT HIT HER HEAD ON THE CEILING AND RECEIVED A BUMP ON HER KNEE FROM THE BEVERAGE CART. 1 PAX RECEIVED A BUMP ON HER HEAD FROM THE BEVERAGE CART AND ANOTHER PAX COMPLAINED THAT HER TAILBONE HURT. UPON ARR AT LGA, BOTH PAX REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT AND CONTINUED ON TO THEIR CONNECTING FLTS. OUR FLT ATTENDANT WAS CHKED BY EMT'S AT LGA AND WAS FOUND TO BE OK, OTHER THAN A SMALL BUMP ON HER HEAD AND ON HER KNEE. ALL APPROPRIATE COMPANY RPTS WERE FILLED OUT AND SENT TO COMPANY HEADQUARTERS AND THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED PRIOR TO THE NEXT FLT. FLYING TURBOPROPS IN THE NE, WE OFTEN FLY AT LOWER ALTS (ATC RESTRS ON RTES) AND ENCOUNTER LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB WHEN FLYING THROUGH CLOUDS AND CLOUD LAYERS. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BECAUSE WE HAD NO INDICATION THAT WE WOULD ENCOUNTER THIS SEVERE TURB. WE HAD REVIEWED ALL APPROPRIATE WX DOCUMENTS AND RPTS PRIOR TO OUR FLT AND FOUND NOTHING TO WARN US OF SEVERE TURB.

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.