Flight crew encounters severe clear air turbulence en route to sju.

Attributes
ACN	442586
Time
Date	199907
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : pruit
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 28500 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic enroute airway : a523.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	442586
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : turbulence other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 4
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Flight from ewr to sju. Level cruise flight at FL290 had been smooth for over 30 mins. The seat belt sign was off. 2 severe jolts (turbulence) hit the aircraft. The captain (PF) recovered the aircraft from a nose down attitude losing about 500 ft in a smooth pull-up. The aircraft back on course and altitude. We checked all system were functioning normally. The flight attendants could not be reached on the interphone, so I checked the cabin and discovered several injuries to passenger. We decided to divert to bda and declared an emergency. The flight attendants and other passenger assisted the injured as we flew direct to bda. It was a normal descent and arrival. We were met by emergency personnel in bda. The WX was clear. We both had our radar on. We had no warning of the turbulence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC ENCOUNTERS SEVERE CLR AIR TURB ENRTE TO SJU.

Narrative: FLT FROM EWR TO SJU. LEVEL CRUISE FLT AT FL290 HAD BEEN SMOOTH FOR OVER 30 MINS. THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS OFF. 2 SEVERE JOLTS (TURB) HIT THE ACFT. THE CAPT (PF) RECOVERED THE ACFT FROM A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE LOSING ABOUT 500 FT IN A SMOOTH PULL-UP. THE ACFT BACK ON COURSE AND ALT. WE CHKED ALL SYS WERE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. THE FLT ATTENDANTS COULD NOT BE REACHED ON THE INTERPHONE, SO I CHKED THE CABIN AND DISCOVERED SEVERAL INJURIES TO PAX. WE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO BDA AND DECLARED AN EMER. THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND OTHER PAX ASSISTED THE INJURED AS WE FLEW DIRECT TO BDA. IT WAS A NORMAL DSCNT AND ARR. WE WERE MET BY EMER PERSONNEL IN BDA. THE WX WAS CLR. WE BOTH HAD OUR RADAR ON. WE HAD NO WARNING OF THE 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.