Narrative:

En route at FL330, approximately 50 NM west of crl, encountered continuous moderate turbulence with no warning from other aircraft in front of us or from ATC. The seatbelt sign was on as the ride index on the flight plan was a '2,' and I elected to keep the passenger seated although the flight attendants were doing a service. We were in continuous very light chop at this time. The radar was on both sides displaying different ranges and tilt angles with no returns showing. We were IMC at the time. The chop started to go to more continuous light chop and I called back to the #1 flight attendant to ask about the service and how it was going. She stated they were able to do a service, at which time I told her if it got any worse, to have all flight attendants situation down and strap in, which also goes along with a pre-trip briefing where I advise all flight attendants that they know what is safe and if at any time they feel they cannot perform their duties, they are to put things away and strap in. Immediately after my conversation with the #1 flight attendant, we encountered continuous moderate turbulence without any warning. I got on the phone and told the flight attendants to situation down and the #1 flight attendant said they were already putting stuff away and strapping in. At the same time, we questioned ATC about the rides and requested an immediate climb to FL370. We encountered continuous moderate chop until about FL365 when we broke out into the clear and the ride became smooth. While I was still climbing the airplane, my first officer answered a call from the #2 flight attendant who apparently had been putting away a cart when we encountered the turbulence. She stated that she had hit the ceiling and she came down against the right rear service door handle with her back. My first officer asked her if she was ok and she stated she was ok and would be able to finish the trip to yyz and back as a working flight attendant and would file a report when we returned to ord. Upon landing in yyz, the agent that met our flight and I questioned #2 flight attendant about her condition, at which point she seemed reluctant to say she was injured. Knowing that we may encounter this turbulence on the return leg to ord, I asked her once again if she was hurt. She said she could work back to ord. I once again asked 'are you hurt, because you have to let me know as I would not take any chances on additional injury on the return leg.' she finally shrugged her shoulders and said 'I guess' at which point I stated she would need to be seen by medical personnel. I made my required reports to dispatch on the phone just to confirm the incident as I had already sent an in-flight ACARS on our ride encounter. Flight attendant #2 seemed very reluctant to get off the plane for an injury, and I told her she could not fly back if, as she stated, she had hit the ceiling. Supplemental information from acn 577979: turbulence increased to moderate occasional severe conditions. We informed cle and told them we wanted a climb to FL370. Clearance was issued and we initiated climb to FL370. Turbulence continued during climb. Airspeed was +/-20 KTS. We were unable to achieve a constant rate of climb. At times could not maintain any climb rate at all. Turbulence subsided passing FL360.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IN THE VICINITY OF CRL VORTAC WITH ZOB, B737 ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB, AND HAD DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING CONSTANT CLB RATE EXITING ADVERSE CONDITION, AND EVENT RESULTS IN A FLT ATTENDANT INJURY.

Narrative: ENRTE AT FL330, APPROX 50 NM W OF CRL, ENCOUNTERED CONTINUOUS MODERATE TURB WITH NO WARNING FROM OTHER ACFT IN FRONT OF US OR FROM ATC. THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS ON AS THE RIDE INDEX ON THE FLT PLAN WAS A '2,' AND I ELECTED TO KEEP THE PAX SEATED ALTHOUGH THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE DOING A SVC. WE WERE IN CONTINUOUS VERY LIGHT CHOP AT THIS TIME. THE RADAR WAS ON BOTH SIDES DISPLAYING DIFFERENT RANGES AND TILT ANGLES WITH NO RETURNS SHOWING. WE WERE IMC AT THE TIME. THE CHOP STARTED TO GO TO MORE CONTINUOUS LIGHT CHOP AND I CALLED BACK TO THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TO ASK ABOUT THE SVC AND HOW IT WAS GOING. SHE STATED THEY WERE ABLE TO DO A SVC, AT WHICH TIME I TOLD HER IF IT GOT ANY WORSE, TO HAVE ALL FLT ATTENDANTS SIT DOWN AND STRAP IN, WHICH ALSO GOES ALONG WITH A PRE-TRIP BRIEFING WHERE I ADVISE ALL FLT ATTENDANTS THAT THEY KNOW WHAT IS SAFE AND IF AT ANY TIME THEY FEEL THEY CANNOT PERFORM THEIR DUTIES, THEY ARE TO PUT THINGS AWAY AND STRAP IN. IMMEDIATELY AFTER MY CONVERSATION WITH THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT, WE ENCOUNTERED CONTINUOUS MODERATE TURB WITHOUT ANY WARNING. I GOT ON THE PHONE AND TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SIT DOWN AND THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT SAID THEY WERE ALREADY PUTTING STUFF AWAY AND STRAPPING IN. AT THE SAME TIME, WE QUESTIONED ATC ABOUT THE RIDES AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE CLB TO FL370. WE ENCOUNTERED CONTINUOUS MODERATE CHOP UNTIL ABOUT FL365 WHEN WE BROKE OUT INTO THE CLR AND THE RIDE BECAME SMOOTH. WHILE I WAS STILL CLBING THE AIRPLANE, MY FO ANSWERED A CALL FROM THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT WHO APPARENTLY HAD BEEN PUTTING AWAY A CART WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED THE TURB. SHE STATED THAT SHE HAD HIT THE CEILING AND SHE CAME DOWN AGAINST THE R REAR SVC DOOR HANDLE WITH HER BACK. MY FO ASKED HER IF SHE WAS OK AND SHE STATED SHE WAS OK AND WOULD BE ABLE TO FINISH THE TRIP TO YYZ AND BACK AS A WORKING FLT ATTENDANT AND WOULD FILE A RPT WHEN WE RETURNED TO ORD. UPON LNDG IN YYZ, THE AGENT THAT MET OUR FLT AND I QUESTIONED #2 FLT ATTENDANT ABOUT HER CONDITION, AT WHICH POINT SHE SEEMED RELUCTANT TO SAY SHE WAS INJURED. KNOWING THAT WE MAY ENCOUNTER THIS TURB ON THE RETURN LEG TO ORD, I ASKED HER ONCE AGAIN IF SHE WAS HURT. SHE SAID SHE COULD WORK BACK TO ORD. I ONCE AGAIN ASKED 'ARE YOU HURT, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO LET ME KNOW AS I WOULD NOT TAKE ANY CHANCES ON ADDITIONAL INJURY ON THE RETURN LEG.' SHE FINALLY SHRUGGED HER SHOULDERS AND SAID 'I GUESS' AT WHICH POINT I STATED SHE WOULD NEED TO BE SEEN BY MEDICAL PERSONNEL. I MADE MY REQUIRED RPTS TO DISPATCH ON THE PHONE JUST TO CONFIRM THE INCIDENT AS I HAD ALREADY SENT AN INFLT ACARS ON OUR RIDE ENCOUNTER. FLT ATTENDANT #2 SEEMED VERY RELUCTANT TO GET OFF THE PLANE FOR AN INJURY, AND I TOLD HER SHE COULD NOT FLY BACK IF, AS SHE STATED, SHE HAD HIT THE CEILING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 577979: TURB INCREASED TO MODERATE OCCASIONAL SEVERE CONDITIONS. WE INFORMED CLE AND TOLD THEM WE WANTED A CLB TO FL370. CLRNC WAS ISSUED AND WE INITIATED CLB TO FL370. TURB CONTINUED DURING CLB. AIRSPD WAS +/-20 KTS. WE WERE UNABLE TO ACHIEVE A CONSTANT RATE OF CLB. AT TIMES COULD NOT MAINTAIN ANY CLB RATE AT ALL. TURB SUBSIDED PASSING FL360.

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.