Narrative:

Encountered unexpected severe turbulence 10 mi east of oxi at FL230. Lasted approximately 5 seconds. There were no prior reports of turbulence either by other aircraft in the area or ATC prior to the encounter. WX conditions were generally smooth with cloud conditions scattered to broken. Radar had been used prior to encounter with no indications of cell activity in the area. Radar was turned off just prior to encounter. Following the encounter, flight conditions were smooth. Improvement to current radar technology and better training in the use of WX radar by airline crews could significantly reduce incidents of this sort. Currently, radar training consists of reading a couple of pages in the aircraft manual and the company operations manual and watching a video tape. Most pilots learn radar operation from those pilots who have come before them, ie, the more senior pilots who also learned it from their predecessors. There have been occasions when I have visually observed a monstrous thunderstorm well within the range of our WX radar and radar has not painted anything. It creates a question in the mind of the operator as to the validity of what he or she is looking at with reference to the radar display. Supplemental information from acn 439191: the seatbelt sign was illuminated but the flight attendants were out of their seats performing their duties. We were notified that a flight attendant was injured and would require medical attention. The captain notified ATC of the encounter and we continued to ord.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT OF A B737-500 WAS INJURED DURING TURB ENCOUNTER DURING DSCNT AT AN INTERMEDIATE ALT.

Narrative: ENCOUNTERED UNEXPECTED SEVERE TURB 10 MI E OF OXI AT FL230. LASTED APPROX 5 SECONDS. THERE WERE NO PRIOR RPTS OF TURB EITHER BY OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA OR ATC PRIOR TO THE ENCOUNTER. WX CONDITIONS WERE GENERALLY SMOOTH WITH CLOUD CONDITIONS SCATTERED TO BROKEN. RADAR HAD BEEN USED PRIOR TO ENCOUNTER WITH NO INDICATIONS OF CELL ACTIVITY IN THE AREA. RADAR WAS TURNED OFF JUST PRIOR TO ENCOUNTER. FOLLOWING THE ENCOUNTER, FLT CONDITIONS WERE SMOOTH. IMPROVEMENT TO CURRENT RADAR TECHNOLOGY AND BETTER TRAINING IN THE USE OF WX RADAR BY AIRLINE CREWS COULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE INCIDENTS OF THIS SORT. CURRENTLY, RADAR TRAINING CONSISTS OF READING A COUPLE OF PAGES IN THE ACFT MANUAL AND THE COMPANY OPS MANUAL AND WATCHING A VIDEO TAPE. MOST PLTS LEARN RADAR OP FROM THOSE PLTS WHO HAVE COME BEFORE THEM, IE, THE MORE SENIOR PLTS WHO ALSO LEARNED IT FROM THEIR PREDECESSORS. THERE HAVE BEEN OCCASIONS WHEN I HAVE VISUALLY OBSERVED A MONSTROUS TSTM WELL WITHIN THE RANGE OF OUR WX RADAR AND RADAR HAS NOT PAINTED ANYTHING. IT CREATES A QUESTION IN THE MIND OF THE OPERATOR AS TO THE VALIDITY OF WHAT HE OR SHE IS LOOKING AT WITH REF TO THE RADAR DISPLAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 439191: THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS ILLUMINATED BUT THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE OUT OF THEIR SEATS PERFORMING THEIR DUTIES. WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT A FLT ATTENDANT WAS INJURED AND WOULD REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTN. THE CAPT NOTIFIED ATC OF THE ENCOUNTER AND WE CONTINUED TO ORD.

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.