Narrative:

I was first officer on flight, and it was the captain's leg. We were northwest of dells VOR about 20 mi in the descent to FL190 assigned. We were in the clouds. Both of us had our radar on, and while I am not sure exactly what range and tilt the captain had, I was -1 tilt and was in a mid range, with the ground clutter off. We could see 2 small (amber) cells to the right of course, about 10-15 mi wsw of dells. Between us and the VOR was nothing but light green on the radar. Captain had the autoplt on in the descent with vertical speed selected -- believe he had 300 KTS selected as the speed. Somewhere between FL260 and FL240 we encountered what was at first moderate turbulence. It quickly got worse and objects were beginning to move around the cockpit -- like my approach plates and cup of water in the cup holder. We got an overspd warning just as center gave us a frequency change, which due to the warning horn and the static on frequency I was unable to make out. I asked for a repeat and was still unable to make it out, and noticed at this time the airspeed was into the red band by about 10 KTS. The captain had clicked off the autoplt and I believe the autothrottles, which told me that he was taking corrective action, so, I asked one more time for the frequency, with my finger in my left ear so I could hear. I put in the new frequency and looked up to see us in a climb, passing FL250. I advised the captain and he rogered. I checked in with the new controller, and we were still in a climb -- about FL255 at this time. Advised the captain again, and he rogered. Turbulence had become severe, and we were really being tossed about. In 32 yrs of flying, this was the worst I have ever been in. Captain got the speed and vertical speed under control, and as the turbulence moderated to occasional moderate, we settled into our descent to FL190 again. The #5 flight attendant opened the cockpit door and reported 1 flight attendant injured, no details yet. Captain reported the turbulence encounter to ZAU, who advised aircraft behind us. (Cannot recall full call sign.) made comment to effect that he concurred with the report. I notified company via ACARS first of the turbulence and then about the injuries (later notification of second flight attendant). The #2 flight attendant and #3 flight attendant were not in the cockpit at this time, and I am sure they were helping out in the back. The #3 flight attendant did come up and he notified ord of the requirement for medical personnel to meet the aircraft. On landing at ord, we experienced windshear with +/-15 KTS about 200 ft above the ground. Reported same to tower and proceeded to the gate where we were met by medical and company personnel. No passenger injured. The thing which upsets me, besides the injuries, is what we saw on our radar and what we encountered. They just did not match up. I have been on the airplane for almost 1 yr, and the radar displays I have seen in the past have been pretty accurate. I forgot to mention that after we were stabilized in the descent at about 280 KTS, we had a very close lightning strike. I do not believe we actually were hit, but I do believe we had a static discharge. Shortly after that, the TCASII failed. Supplemental information from acn 484346: after the second meal service, we were putting away our service items in order to prepare for landing (we still had about 40 mins remaining flying hour before landing). It was in galley in the main cabin. It was bumpy so we made sure that all the passenger remained seated with seatbelts on. Right after I made another PA to passenger, big clear turbulence hit. I couldn't take a jump seat even though it was right next to me. I just grabbed a handhold, but my body was still like jumping off the floor. Next thing I knew, our service items were on the floor, and 3 other flight attendants were laying on the floor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DSNDING B777 ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURB, INJURING SEVERAL FLT ATTENDANTS AT FL250 IN PROX OF SMALL TSTM CELLS NEAR DLL, WI.

Narrative: I WAS FO ON FLT, AND IT WAS THE CAPT'S LEG. WE WERE NW OF DELLS VOR ABOUT 20 MI IN THE DSCNT TO FL190 ASSIGNED. WE WERE IN THE CLOUDS. BOTH OF US HAD OUR RADAR ON, AND WHILE I AM NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT RANGE AND TILT THE CAPT HAD, I WAS -1 TILT AND WAS IN A MID RANGE, WITH THE GND CLUTTER OFF. WE COULD SEE 2 SMALL (AMBER) CELLS TO THE R OF COURSE, ABOUT 10-15 MI WSW OF DELLS. BTWN US AND THE VOR WAS NOTHING BUT LIGHT GREEN ON THE RADAR. CAPT HAD THE AUTOPLT ON IN THE DSCNT WITH VERT SPD SELECTED -- BELIEVE HE HAD 300 KTS SELECTED AS THE SPD. SOMEWHERE BTWN FL260 AND FL240 WE ENCOUNTERED WHAT WAS AT FIRST MODERATE TURB. IT QUICKLY GOT WORSE AND OBJECTS WERE BEGINNING TO MOVE AROUND THE COCKPIT -- LIKE MY APCH PLATES AND CUP OF WATER IN THE CUP HOLDER. WE GOT AN OVERSPD WARNING JUST AS CTR GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE, WHICH DUE TO THE WARNING HORN AND THE STATIC ON FREQ I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE OUT. I ASKED FOR A REPEAT AND WAS STILL UNABLE TO MAKE IT OUT, AND NOTICED AT THIS TIME THE AIRSPD WAS INTO THE RED BAND BY ABOUT 10 KTS. THE CAPT HAD CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND I BELIEVE THE AUTOTHROTTLES, WHICH TOLD ME THAT HE WAS TAKING CORRECTIVE ACTION, SO, I ASKED ONE MORE TIME FOR THE FREQ, WITH MY FINGER IN MY L EAR SO I COULD HEAR. I PUT IN THE NEW FREQ AND LOOKED UP TO SEE US IN A CLB, PASSING FL250. I ADVISED THE CAPT AND HE ROGERED. I CHKED IN WITH THE NEW CTLR, AND WE WERE STILL IN A CLB -- ABOUT FL255 AT THIS TIME. ADVISED THE CAPT AGAIN, AND HE ROGERED. TURB HAD BECOME SEVERE, AND WE WERE REALLY BEING TOSSED ABOUT. IN 32 YRS OF FLYING, THIS WAS THE WORST I HAVE EVER BEEN IN. CAPT GOT THE SPD AND VERT SPD UNDER CTL, AND AS THE TURB MODERATED TO OCCASIONAL MODERATE, WE SETTLED INTO OUR DSCNT TO FL190 AGAIN. THE #5 FLT ATTENDANT OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR AND RPTED 1 FLT ATTENDANT INJURED, NO DETAILS YET. CAPT RPTED THE TURB ENCOUNTER TO ZAU, WHO ADVISED ACFT BEHIND US. (CANNOT RECALL FULL CALL SIGN.) MADE COMMENT TO EFFECT THAT HE CONCURRED WITH THE RPT. I NOTIFIED COMPANY VIA ACARS FIRST OF THE TURB AND THEN ABOUT THE INJURIES (LATER NOTIFICATION OF SECOND FLT ATTENDANT). THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT AND #3 FLT ATTENDANT WERE NOT IN THE COCKPIT AT THIS TIME, AND I AM SURE THEY WERE HELPING OUT IN THE BACK. THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT DID COME UP AND HE NOTIFIED ORD OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR MEDICAL PERSONNEL TO MEET THE ACFT. ON LNDG AT ORD, WE EXPERIENCED WINDSHEAR WITH +/-15 KTS ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE THE GND. RPTED SAME TO TWR AND PROCEEDED TO THE GATE WHERE WE WERE MET BY MEDICAL AND COMPANY PERSONNEL. NO PAX INJURED. THE THING WHICH UPSETS ME, BESIDES THE INJURIES, IS WHAT WE SAW ON OUR RADAR AND WHAT WE ENCOUNTERED. THEY JUST DID NOT MATCH UP. I HAVE BEEN ON THE AIRPLANE FOR ALMOST 1 YR, AND THE RADAR DISPLAYS I HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN PRETTY ACCURATE. I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT AFTER WE WERE STABILIZED IN THE DSCNT AT ABOUT 280 KTS, WE HAD A VERY CLOSE LIGHTNING STRIKE. I DO NOT BELIEVE WE ACTUALLY WERE HIT, BUT I DO BELIEVE WE HAD A STATIC DISCHARGE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE TCASII FAILED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 484346: AFTER THE SECOND MEAL SVC, WE WERE PUTTING AWAY OUR SVC ITEMS IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR LNDG (WE STILL HAD ABOUT 40 MINS REMAINING FLYING HR BEFORE LNDG). IT WAS IN GALLEY IN THE MAIN CABIN. IT WAS BUMPY SO WE MADE SURE THAT ALL THE PAX REMAINED SEATED WITH SEATBELTS ON. RIGHT AFTER I MADE ANOTHER PA TO PAX, BIG CLR TURB HIT. I COULDN'T TAKE A JUMP SEAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS RIGHT NEXT TO ME. I JUST GRABBED A HANDHOLD, BUT MY BODY WAS STILL LIKE JUMPING OFF THE FLOOR. NEXT THING I KNEW, OUR SVC ITEMS WERE ON THE FLOOR, AND 3 OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS WERE LAYING ON THE FLOOR.

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.