Narrative:

Possible problems and preventive measures: the problem seems to be in the amount of time it takes to stow the serving cart, as it was approximately 7-10 mins from notification to situation down until they were injured. Solution: possibly a serving cart that can be covered and strapped down quickly, so that the flight attendants can take their seats. There are many times that we have a much shorter warning of turbulence. We were 150 mi east of imb along J15, cruising at FL350. Flight attendants were seated and the seatbelt sign was on. We encountered light to moderate turbulence. ATC advised that turbulence was reported to FL390. A learjet reported smooth air at FL410 northeast of our position. FL410 was smooth for several mins. Flight attendants ok'd to try serving. About 5 mins later, we started to get light turbulence again. I had the flight attendants discontinue service and take their seats (seatbelt sign still on). Aircraft reports of FL310 as being smooth. I requested and received clearance to FL310. We started descent at mach .78, 1000-1500 FPM, light chop through FL370, then we started to smooth out. Then at FL350, light to moderate turbulence. Speed brakes were extended to increase rate. Just about FL330, 80 NM east of imb, we received a couple (2) of moderate jolts. It smoothed out below FL320 and leveled off. At that time, we received a call from flight attendant #1 that flight attendants had been injured in rear of aircraft. One was on the floor with a leg injury (flight attendant #2). We later found out 3 others had minor injuries. Flight attendant #3 bumped her head, flight attendant #3 had a head abrasion, flight attendant #4 hit her head and bruised her knee. A physician on board volunteered to look at the flight attendants. He diagnosed flight attendant #2 to have a possible fracture of the lower leg. A deadheading pilot was asked to assess the situation in rear aircraft and help get flight attendant #2 strapped in a seat (last row). I notified flight control and requested paramedics north pdx. Station operations notified and paramedics were confirmed. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. The flight was met by paramedics and pdx flight attendant supervisor took flight attendants #2, #3, and #4 to hospital for observation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, B767ER HIT MODERATE TURB. 3 CABIN ATTENDANTS INJURED. PAX MD DIAGNOSED BROKEN LEG. PARAMEDICS MET FLT, TOOK CABIN ATTENDANT TO HOSPITAL.

Narrative: POSSIBLE PROBS AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES: THE PROB SEEMS TO BE IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TO STOW THE SERVING CART, AS IT WAS APPROX 7-10 MINS FROM NOTIFICATION TO SIT DOWN UNTIL THEY WERE INJURED. SOLUTION: POSSIBLY A SERVING CART THAT CAN BE COVERED AND STRAPPED DOWN QUICKLY, SO THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS CAN TAKE THEIR SEATS. THERE ARE MANY TIMES THAT WE HAVE A MUCH SHORTER WARNING OF TURB. WE WERE 150 MI E OF IMB ALONG J15, CRUISING AT FL350. FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SEATED AND THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS ON. WE ENCOUNTERED LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB. ATC ADVISED THAT TURB WAS RPTED TO FL390. A LEARJET RPTED SMOOTH AIR AT FL410 NE OF OUR POS. FL410 WAS SMOOTH FOR SEVERAL MINS. FLT ATTENDANTS OK'D TO TRY SERVING. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER, WE STARTED TO GET LIGHT TURB AGAIN. I HAD THE FLT ATTENDANTS DISCONTINUE SVC AND TAKE THEIR SEATS (SEATBELT SIGN STILL ON). ACFT RPTS OF FL310 AS BEING SMOOTH. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO FL310. WE STARTED DSCNT AT MACH .78, 1000-1500 FPM, LIGHT CHOP THROUGH FL370, THEN WE STARTED TO SMOOTH OUT. THEN AT FL350, LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB. SPD BRAKES WERE EXTENDED TO INCREASE RATE. JUST ABOUT FL330, 80 NM E OF IMB, WE RECEIVED A COUPLE (2) OF MODERATE JOLTS. IT SMOOTHED OUT BELOW FL320 AND LEVELED OFF. AT THAT TIME, WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM FLT ATTENDANT #1 THAT FLT ATTENDANTS HAD BEEN INJURED IN REAR OF ACFT. ONE WAS ON THE FLOOR WITH A LEG INJURY (FLT ATTENDANT #2). WE LATER FOUND OUT 3 OTHERS HAD MINOR INJURIES. FLT ATTENDANT #3 BUMPED HER HEAD, FLT ATTENDANT #3 HAD A HEAD ABRASION, FLT ATTENDANT #4 HIT HER HEAD AND BRUISED HER KNEE. A PHYSICIAN ON BOARD VOLUNTEERED TO LOOK AT THE FLT ATTENDANTS. HE DIAGNOSED FLT ATTENDANT #2 TO HAVE A POSSIBLE FRACTURE OF THE LOWER LEG. A DEADHEADING PLT WAS ASKED TO ASSESS THE SIT IN REAR ACFT AND HELP GET FLT ATTENDANT #2 STRAPPED IN A SEAT (LAST ROW). I NOTIFIED FLT CTL AND REQUESTED PARAMEDICS N PDX. STATION OPS NOTIFIED AND PARAMEDICS WERE CONFIRMED. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE FLT WAS MET BY PARAMEDICS AND PDX FLT ATTENDANT SUPVR TOOK FLT ATTENDANTS #2, #3, AND #4 TO HOSPITAL FOR OBSERVATION.

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.