Narrative:

We were at cruise in smooth air flying between widely scattered thunderstorm cells. The flight plan indicated zero for turbulence in the area. We encountered a 10 second patch of unexpected severe turbulence, followed by smooth air again. The autoplt disengaged, but since we were guarding the flight controls only a minor altitude deviation occurred. We re-established altitude and the autoplt, then called the cabin. We were informed of passenger injuries. We informed ZMP of severe turbulence encounter. We then decided to divert to den. There were 3 medical doctors and a nurse onboard who immediately volunteered and treated the injured passenger. We declared a medical emergency with ATC, coordinated with dispatch for medical personnel and ambulances to meet us and expedited to den. The cabin crew did an outstanding job of calming the passenger, equipping and directing the medical people, assessing the situation and communicating with the cockpit. The den ground personnel also did an outstanding job, on very short notice, of getting medical teams in place and being ready to handle all the subsequent passenger problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B757 HIT UNFORECAST SEVERE TURB AND SEVERAL PAX WERE INJURED. THE PAX WERE TREATED BY DOCTORS AND A NURSE ON BOARD AND THE FLC DIVERTED TO DEN TO SEEK FURTHER MEDICAL CARE FOR SOME OF THE PAX.

Narrative: WE WERE AT CRUISE IN SMOOTH AIR FLYING BTWN WIDELY SCATTERED TSTM CELLS. THE FLT PLAN INDICATED ZERO FOR TURB IN THE AREA. WE ENCOUNTERED A 10 SECOND PATCH OF UNEXPECTED SEVERE TURB, FOLLOWED BY SMOOTH AIR AGAIN. THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGED, BUT SINCE WE WERE GUARDING THE FLT CTLS ONLY A MINOR ALTDEV OCCURRED. WE RE-ESTABLISHED ALT AND THE AUTOPLT, THEN CALLED THE CABIN. WE WERE INFORMED OF PAX INJURIES. WE INFORMED ZMP OF SEVERE TURB ENCOUNTER. WE THEN DECIDED TO DIVERT TO DEN. THERE WERE 3 MEDICAL DOCTORS AND A NURSE ONBOARD WHO IMMEDIATELY VOLUNTEERED AND TREATED THE INJURED PAX. WE DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER WITH ATC, COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH FOR MEDICAL PERSONNEL AND AMBULANCES TO MEET US AND EXPEDITED TO DEN. THE CABIN CREW DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF CALMING THE PAX, EQUIPPING AND DIRECTING THE MEDICAL PEOPLE, ASSESSING THE SIT AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE COCKPIT. THE DEN GND PERSONNEL ALSO DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB, ON VERY SHORT NOTICE, OF GETTING MEDICAL TEAMS IN PLACE AND BEING READY TO HANDLE ALL THE SUBSEQUENT PAX PROBS.

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.