Narrative:

I was the captain of flight from sea to dfw on dec/mon/02. Unfortunately, one of the flight attendants sustained injuries as a result of en route turbulence. Due to the thunderstorm/rainshower activity in the dallas/fort worth area, our flight experienced delay vectors (approximately 45 mins) southwest of the airport, flight conditions being VFR with occasional light turbulence. Our altitude at the time was FL270 with an assigned airspeed of 280 KTS. The seatbelt sign was off. Approximately 45 mi southwest of the fever intersection we were given a clearance 'present position, direct fever, glenrose 6 - dfw, descend to cross fever at 11000 ft....' since we were beginning the arrival phase of flight, I turned on the seatbelt sign. Due to a narrow line of WX between our position and fever, the first officer made a PA explaining the possibility of turbulence in our descent and instructed the flight attendants to take their seats. ('...Also, we would like the flight attendants to take their seats at this time and all passenger should check the security of their seatbelts.') the first officer followed the PA announcement by speaking directly to the onboard leader via the interphone. This was done so as to clarify that we wanted the flight attendants to take their seats. Since our radar showed an area of what appeared to be moderate precipitation between our position and fever, I asked the first officer to tell ZFW that we needed to deviate right of course for WX. Their reply was to deviate right as necessary and to proceed direct fever when able. I then turned the aircraft to an easterly heading that on radar showed little to no precipitation. Since we were about to fly into the clouds, with a tat of approximately -6 degrees, we turned the engine anti-ice on. As soon as we entered the clouds, we experienced a severe downdraft, accompanied by moderate turbulence. There was also a burst of what appeared to be snow grains or ice pellets. The aircraft airspeed was 270-280 KTS, and the speed brakes were deployed. Also, the autoplt was on. Immediately, the first officer called the onboard leader to check on the status of the passenger and flight attendants. She informed him that, '...thankfully everyone was in his or her seats and nobody was hurt.' I then had the first officer call the center to inform them that we had just encountered an area of severe turbulence. After another min or so, the onboard leader called to inform us that a flight attendant had been injured in the rear of the aircraft. Also, a paramedic was treating her injuries. She mentioned that her injuries appeared serious and that she may have broken some bones. Apparently, the injured flight attendant had gotten out of her seat to help a passenger with his seatbelt -- he was having trouble getting it fastened. We apparently hit the downdraft as she was assisting the passenger. I asked the first officer to contact flight control, inform them of our situation, and have the paramedics standing by at the gate. Since we were quite busy on the arrival by this time (approach had changed our runway twice), the first officer elected to call the dfw ramp instead, giving them the information. We also informed approach that we had a medical emergency on board and that we would like priority handling. As a result, they changed our runway to runway 17R and expedited the arrival. Prior to our arrival at the gate, the onboard leader made a PA instructing all passenger to stay in their seats so that paramedics could get on first. After the paramedics gave their ok, we allowed the passenger to deplane. The injured flight attendant was then transported to the hospital for treatment. Fortunately, her examination revealed that no bones were broken. However, she did suffer from a hyperextended knee and minor contusions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLC ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURB AND HAS CABIN CREW INJURY.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF FLT FROM SEA TO DFW ON DEC/MON/02. UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS SUSTAINED INJURIES AS A RESULT OF ENRTE TURB. DUE TO THE TSTM/RAINSHOWER ACTIVITY IN THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH AREA, OUR FLT EXPERIENCED DELAY VECTORS (APPROX 45 MINS) SW OF THE ARPT, FLT CONDITIONS BEING VFR WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHT TURB. OUR ALT AT THE TIME WAS FL270 WITH AN ASSIGNED AIRSPD OF 280 KTS. THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS OFF. APPROX 45 MI SW OF THE FEVER INTXN WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC 'PRESENT POS, DIRECT FEVER, GLENROSE 6 - DFW, DSND TO CROSS FEVER AT 11000 FT....' SINCE WE WERE BEGINNING THE ARR PHASE OF FLT, I TURNED ON THE SEATBELT SIGN. DUE TO A NARROW LINE OF WX BTWN OUR POS AND FEVER, THE FO MADE A PA EXPLAINING THE POSSIBILITY OF TURB IN OUR DSCNT AND INSTRUCTED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO TAKE THEIR SEATS. ('...ALSO, WE WOULD LIKE THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO TAKE THEIR SEATS AT THIS TIME AND ALL PAX SHOULD CHK THE SECURITY OF THEIR SEATBELTS.') THE FO FOLLOWED THE PA ANNOUNCEMENT BY SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO THE ONBOARD LEADER VIA THE INTERPHONE. THIS WAS DONE SO AS TO CLARIFY THAT WE WANTED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO TAKE THEIR SEATS. SINCE OUR RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE MODERATE PRECIP BTWN OUR POS AND FEVER, I ASKED THE FO TO TELL ZFW THAT WE NEEDED TO DEVIATE R OF COURSE FOR WX. THEIR REPLY WAS TO DEVIATE R AS NECESSARY AND TO PROCEED DIRECT FEVER WHEN ABLE. I THEN TURNED THE ACFT TO AN EASTERLY HDG THAT ON RADAR SHOWED LITTLE TO NO PRECIP. SINCE WE WERE ABOUT TO FLY INTO THE CLOUDS, WITH A TAT OF APPROX -6 DEGS, WE TURNED THE ENG ANTI-ICE ON. AS SOON AS WE ENTERED THE CLOUDS, WE EXPERIENCED A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT, ACCOMPANIED BY MODERATE TURB. THERE WAS ALSO A BURST OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE SNOW GRAINS OR ICE PELLETS. THE ACFT AIRSPD WAS 270-280 KTS, AND THE SPD BRAKES WERE DEPLOYED. ALSO, THE AUTOPLT WAS ON. IMMEDIATELY, THE FO CALLED THE ONBOARD LEADER TO CHK ON THE STATUS OF THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS. SHE INFORMED HIM THAT, '...THANKFULLY EVERYONE WAS IN HIS OR HER SEATS AND NOBODY WAS HURT.' I THEN HAD THE FO CALL THE CTR TO INFORM THEM THAT WE HAD JUST ENCOUNTERED AN AREA OF SEVERE TURB. AFTER ANOTHER MIN OR SO, THE ONBOARD LEADER CALLED TO INFORM US THAT A FLT ATTENDANT HAD BEEN INJURED IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT. ALSO, A PARAMEDIC WAS TREATING HER INJURIES. SHE MENTIONED THAT HER INJURIES APPEARED SERIOUS AND THAT SHE MAY HAVE BROKEN SOME BONES. APPARENTLY, THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT HAD GOTTEN OUT OF HER SEAT TO HELP A PAX WITH HIS SEATBELT -- HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING IT FASTENED. WE APPARENTLY HIT THE DOWNDRAFT AS SHE WAS ASSISTING THE PAX. I ASKED THE FO TO CONTACT FLT CTL, INFORM THEM OF OUR SIT, AND HAVE THE PARAMEDICS STANDING BY AT THE GATE. SINCE WE WERE QUITE BUSY ON THE ARR BY THIS TIME (APCH HAD CHANGED OUR RWY TWICE), THE FO ELECTED TO CALL THE DFW RAMP INSTEAD, GIVING THEM THE INFO. WE ALSO INFORMED APCH THAT WE HAD A MEDICAL EMER ON BOARD AND THAT WE WOULD LIKE PRIORITY HANDLING. AS A RESULT, THEY CHANGED OUR RWY TO RWY 17R AND EXPEDITED THE ARR. PRIOR TO OUR ARR AT THE GATE, THE ONBOARD LEADER MADE A PA INSTRUCTING ALL PAX TO STAY IN THEIR SEATS SO THAT PARAMEDICS COULD GET ON FIRST. AFTER THE PARAMEDICS GAVE THEIR OK, WE ALLOWED THE PAX TO DEPLANE. THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. FORTUNATELY, HER EXAM REVEALED THAT NO BONES WERE BROKEN. HOWEVER, SHE DID SUFFER FROM A HYPEREXTENDED KNEE AND MINOR CONTUSIONS.

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.