Narrative:

Reporter is 25 yr airline pilot with major united states carrier. Currently serving as line check airman on B737-300. Captain for 14 yrs on airline jets. Role in event was passenger. Level cruise conditions smooth above clouds, video entertainment system reporting altitude 9934 meters above london, united kingdom, seatbelt sign off. Flight attendants conducting meal service (carts not visible in aisle), most passenger seated. Aircraft began strong right rolling motion to estimated 40-45 degree right bank, followed immediately by left roll to estimated 60-70 degree left wing down. Very rapid roll in both directions, left roll immediately followed by strong negative G's (estimated 1.5 - 2 G's). Reporter personally observed 2 passenger slammed to ceiling of aft cabin area. All drinks and loose objects in aft cabin were on ceiling. After estimated 1.5 seconds, strong positive G's (estimated 2.5 G's) forcefully redistributed all of above to the floor of the cabin. Passenger suffered several injuries during his movements through the cabin. Bump on head, bleeding scrape on knee, large/deep cut on forearm (to the bone). Reporter and spouse assisted injured passenger in applying pressure to forearm cut, but concern about additional turbulence prevented us from leaving our seats. Reporter began ringing flight attendant call bell to request assistance about 3 mins after event. After 5 mins, flight attendants were observed in forward coach cabin resuming meal service. At this point, no uniformed airline employee had proceeded aft of row xx since the encounter. 14 mins after encounter, a flight attendant with a bread basket approached. Reporter requested medical assistance for injured passenger. Flight crew response after request appeared to match standards expected of united states carriers. Flight attendants on reporter's carrier, faced with a similar situation, would have waited for an ok from the cockpit and then checked the condition of every passenger on the aircraft. They would have then assisted in cleaning and resecuring passenger and belongings. Given the preliminary indications, that delayed response may have been implicated in the loss of something -- I was stunned to see the poor/nonexistent response to this in-flight problem. United states carriers should carefully consider marketing alliances with foreign carriers whose safety standards do not meet united states standards.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT AS PAX ON FOREIGN CARRIER ENCOUNTERING TURB CONCERNED ABOUT LACK OF ATTN CABIN CREW GAVE TO INJURED PAX AFTER THE ENCOUNTER.

Narrative: RPTR IS 25 YR AIRLINE PLT WITH MAJOR UNITED STATES CARRIER. CURRENTLY SERVING AS LINE CHK AIRMAN ON B737-300. CAPT FOR 14 YRS ON AIRLINE JETS. ROLE IN EVENT WAS PAX. LEVEL CRUISE CONDITIONS SMOOTH ABOVE CLOUDS, VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT SYS RPTING ALT 9934 METERS ABOVE LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, SEATBELT SIGN OFF. FLT ATTENDANTS CONDUCTING MEAL SVC (CARTS NOT VISIBLE IN AISLE), MOST PAX SEATED. ACFT BEGAN STRONG R ROLLING MOTION TO ESTIMATED 40-45 DEG R BANK, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY L ROLL TO ESTIMATED 60-70 DEG L WING DOWN. VERY RAPID ROLL IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, L ROLL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY STRONG NEGATIVE G'S (ESTIMATED 1.5 - 2 G'S). RPTR PERSONALLY OBSERVED 2 PAX SLAMMED TO CEILING OF AFT CABIN AREA. ALL DRINKS AND LOOSE OBJECTS IN AFT CABIN WERE ON CEILING. AFTER ESTIMATED 1.5 SECONDS, STRONG POSITIVE G'S (ESTIMATED 2.5 G'S) FORCEFULLY REDISTRIBUTED ALL OF ABOVE TO THE FLOOR OF THE CABIN. PAX SUFFERED SEVERAL INJURIES DURING HIS MOVEMENTS THROUGH THE CABIN. BUMP ON HEAD, BLEEDING SCRAPE ON KNEE, LARGE/DEEP CUT ON FOREARM (TO THE BONE). RPTR AND SPOUSE ASSISTED INJURED PAX IN APPLYING PRESSURE TO FOREARM CUT, BUT CONCERN ABOUT ADDITIONAL TURB PREVENTED US FROM LEAVING OUR SEATS. RPTR BEGAN RINGING FLT ATTENDANT CALL BELL TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE ABOUT 3 MINS AFTER EVENT. AFTER 5 MINS, FLT ATTENDANTS WERE OBSERVED IN FORWARD COACH CABIN RESUMING MEAL SVC. AT THIS POINT, NO UNIFORMED AIRLINE EMPLOYEE HAD PROCEEDED AFT OF ROW XX SINCE THE ENCOUNTER. 14 MINS AFTER ENCOUNTER, A FLT ATTENDANT WITH A BREAD BASKET APCHED. RPTR REQUESTED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR INJURED PAX. FLC RESPONSE AFTER REQUEST APPEARED TO MATCH STANDARDS EXPECTED OF UNITED STATES CARRIERS. FLT ATTENDANTS ON RPTR'S CARRIER, FACED WITH A SIMILAR SIT, WOULD HAVE WAITED FOR AN OK FROM THE COCKPIT AND THEN CHKED THE CONDITION OF EVERY PAX ON THE ACFT. THEY WOULD HAVE THEN ASSISTED IN CLEANING AND RESECURING PAX AND BELONGINGS. GIVEN THE PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS, THAT DELAYED RESPONSE MAY HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED IN THE LOSS OF SOMETHING -- I WAS STUNNED TO SEE THE POOR/NONEXISTENT RESPONSE TO THIS INFLT PROB. UNITED STATES CARRIERS SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER MARKETING ALLIANCES WITH FOREIGN CARRIERS WHOSE SAFETY STANDARDS DO NOT MEET UNITED STATES STANDARDS.

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.