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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A300 encounters unexpected moderate turbulence near cuba while at cruise in the tops of cirrus clouds with seat belt sign on, but service in progress. Several flight attendants received minor injuries.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 594184 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200309 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zma.artcc |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zma.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 594184 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : turbulence |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Environmental Factor |
Narrative:
En route at FL370 in cirrus clouds just north of ursus, which is just north of boundary with havana airspace in the bahamas. Smooth ride, but seat belt sign on as a precaution. Radar on with no returns near our route of flight for next 60 or 80 mi. Suddenly I saw an unusual cloud ahead in the haze of the cirrus clouds we were in. It was wispy and cirrus like, but it also looked convective and had puffy characteristics. It did not paint on the radar. With the restr visibility by the time we saw it there was no time to avoid it. Before we hit it, we turned on ignition selected vertical speed zero and selected turbulence speed. We were in it for less than a min and experienced moderate turbulence with altitude excursions of plus 50 and minus 200 ft. Then we were back in normal cirrus. All but the #3 and #7 flight attendants reported minor bump and bruise injuries. No known passenger injuries or complaints.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A300 ENCOUNTERS UNEXPECTED MODERATE TURB NEAR CUBA WHILE AT CRUISE IN THE TOPS OF CIRRUS CLOUDS WITH SEAT BELT SIGN ON, BUT SVC IN PROGRESS. SEVERAL FLT ATTENDANTS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.
Narrative: ENRTE AT FL370 IN CIRRUS CLOUDS JUST N OF URSUS, WHICH IS JUST N OF BOUNDARY WITH HAVANA AIRSPACE IN THE BAHAMAS. SMOOTH RIDE, BUT SEAT BELT SIGN ON AS A PRECAUTION. RADAR ON WITH NO RETURNS NEAR OUR RTE OF FLT FOR NEXT 60 OR 80 MI. SUDDENLY I SAW AN UNUSUAL CLOUD AHEAD IN THE HAZE OF THE CIRRUS CLOUDS WE WERE IN. IT WAS WISPY AND CIRRUS LIKE, BUT IT ALSO LOOKED CONVECTIVE AND HAD PUFFY CHARACTERISTICS. IT DID NOT PAINT ON THE RADAR. WITH THE RESTR VISIBILITY BY THE TIME WE SAW IT THERE WAS NO TIME TO AVOID IT. BEFORE WE HIT IT, WE TURNED ON IGNITION SELECTED VERT SPD ZERO AND SELECTED TURB SPD. WE WERE IN IT FOR LESS THAN A MIN AND EXPERIENCED MODERATE TURB WITH ALT EXCURSIONS OF PLUS 50 AND MINUS 200 FT. THEN WE WERE BACK IN NORMAL CIRRUS. ALL BUT THE #3 AND #7 FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED MINOR BUMP AND BRUISE INJURIES. NO KNOWN PAX INJURIES OR COMPLAINTS.
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.