Narrative:

Flight originated in one city and had flight attendant crew change in the next. Received briefing from dispatch concerning winds, icing, PIREPS, and rides. All information gave no indication of any significant WX or adverse turbulence. However, strong surface winds were present in pvd and a low pressure area existed with an advancing cold front. Shear values were listed at 03 throughout the entire flight. Requested and received ride reports for climb, cruise and descent and all were favorable. Extremely smooth ride on climb out and cruise. Turned off seatbelt sign at FL290. During cruise, obtained ATIS for pvd and observed turbulence reports below 11000 ft. Instructed first officer to have flight attendant discontinue beverage service and to secure the cabin for landing. This was approximately 130 mi out of pvd. First officer made a PA informing crew and passenger of the rough rides expected and to secure cabin. First officer then talked with flight attendants on interphone and explained our concerns and verified they heard his PA to secure cabin. Sky conditions were clear at this time, however, clouds were visible below. Started a slow descent to FL270 and then were given crossing restr outside of hto. Approximately 5-10 mins after securing cabin and while descending through FL240, aircraft entered an area of moderate turbulence and moderate rime icing lasting approximately 5-10 seconds. Airspeed was 280 KTS and engine anti-ice was on. Immediately notified center of our encounter with both turbulence and icing. Shortly thereafter, we were informed that one of our flight attendants had not been in her seat and had been injured. Notified center of situation and requested direct pvd and asked for medical assistance in pvd. Notified dispatch via ACARS and asked for medical assistance and the need for a flight attendant replacement for the outbound flight. Then talked with dispatch and pvd operations on radio. Both pressure and winds were changing rapidly in pvd and I had entered data in opc several times during our descent to pvd. Crew became very busy with coordinating gate, medical and talking with flight attendant crew members who were providing assistance to injured flight attendant. First officer was flying aircraft and I briefed approach to pvd. Ride conditions were worsening and first officer was tuning radios, talking to center and setting up for approach to pvd. I was busy trying to obtain information of condition of flight attendant and if she was able to be secured in her jumpseat. When I came back up to the radios, we received new winds and pressure data and while running new data through opc, we were passing through 10000 ft and I observed our IAS was approximately 275 KTS. I directed first officer to slow aircraft to 250 KTS and he immediately complied. We were at approximately 9300 ft when I noticed airspeed deviation. We landed in pvd with very strong winds and moderate turbulence. Encounter with turbulence was completely unexpected and rides were smooth up to that point. Radar did not depict any significant precipitation and was in and out of turbulence mode throughout flight. Airspeed deviation was most likely due to my overburdening my first officer with duties. I don't know of anything that would have helped reduce the risk of encountering the unforecasted moderate turbulence. I believe if the cabin had been secured in a more timely manner and the flight attendants had taken their seats earlier, no injuries would have resulted. Flight attendants did not begin their service until we leveled at FL290 and had 85 passenger. Perhaps if the flight attendants had not performed service or started service out of 10000 ft, or if I had been more direct in expressing our concerns for their safety, they would have been more expeditious in securing cabin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 CREW HAD AN INJURED FLT ATTENDANT AFTER AN ENCOUNTER WITH TURB. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE INSTRUCTED TO BE SEATED 5-10 MINS BEFORE THE TURB ENCOUNTER. THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT WAS NOT SEATED.

Narrative: FLT ORIGINATED IN ONE CITY AND HAD FLT ATTENDANT CREW CHANGE IN THE NEXT. RECEIVED BRIEFING FROM DISPATCH CONCERNING WINDS, ICING, PIREPS, AND RIDES. ALL INFO GAVE NO INDICATION OF ANY SIGNIFICANT WX OR ADVERSE TURB. HOWEVER, STRONG SURFACE WINDS WERE PRESENT IN PVD AND A LOW PRESSURE AREA EXISTED WITH AN ADVANCING COLD FRONT. SHEAR VALUES WERE LISTED AT 03 THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FLT. REQUESTED AND RECEIVED RIDE RPTS FOR CLB, CRUISE AND DSCNT AND ALL WERE FAVORABLE. EXTREMELY SMOOTH RIDE ON CLBOUT AND CRUISE. TURNED OFF SEATBELT SIGN AT FL290. DURING CRUISE, OBTAINED ATIS FOR PVD AND OBSERVED TURB RPTS BELOW 11000 FT. INSTRUCTED FO TO HAVE FLT ATTENDANT DISCONTINUE BEVERAGE SVC AND TO SECURE THE CABIN FOR LNDG. THIS WAS APPROX 130 MI OUT OF PVD. FO MADE A PA INFORMING CREW AND PAX OF THE ROUGH RIDES EXPECTED AND TO SECURE CABIN. FO THEN TALKED WITH FLT ATTENDANTS ON INTERPHONE AND EXPLAINED OUR CONCERNS AND VERIFIED THEY HEARD HIS PA TO SECURE CABIN. SKY CONDITIONS WERE CLR AT THIS TIME, HOWEVER, CLOUDS WERE VISIBLE BELOW. STARTED A SLOW DSCNT TO FL270 AND THEN WERE GIVEN XING RESTR OUTSIDE OF HTO. APPROX 5-10 MINS AFTER SECURING CABIN AND WHILE DSNDING THROUGH FL240, ACFT ENTERED AN AREA OF MODERATE TURB AND MODERATE RIME ICING LASTING APPROX 5-10 SECONDS. AIRSPD WAS 280 KTS AND ENG ANTI-ICE WAS ON. IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED CTR OF OUR ENCOUNTER WITH BOTH TURB AND ICING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE WERE INFORMED THAT ONE OF OUR FLT ATTENDANTS HAD NOT BEEN IN HER SEAT AND HAD BEEN INJURED. NOTIFIED CTR OF SIT AND REQUESTED DIRECT PVD AND ASKED FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE IN PVD. NOTIFIED DISPATCH VIA ACARS AND ASKED FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND THE NEED FOR A FLT ATTENDANT REPLACEMENT FOR THE OUTBOUND FLT. THEN TALKED WITH DISPATCH AND PVD OPS ON RADIO. BOTH PRESSURE AND WINDS WERE CHANGING RAPIDLY IN PVD AND I HAD ENTERED DATA IN OPC SEVERAL TIMES DURING OUR DSCNT TO PVD. CREW BECAME VERY BUSY WITH COORDINATING GATE, MEDICAL AND TALKING WITH FLT ATTENDANT CREW MEMBERS WHO WERE PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO INJURED FLT ATTENDANT. FO WAS FLYING ACFT AND I BRIEFED APCH TO PVD. RIDE CONDITIONS WERE WORSENING AND FO WAS TUNING RADIOS, TALKING TO CTR AND SETTING UP FOR APCH TO PVD. I WAS BUSY TRYING TO OBTAIN INFO OF CONDITION OF FLT ATTENDANT AND IF SHE WAS ABLE TO BE SECURED IN HER JUMPSEAT. WHEN I CAME BACK UP TO THE RADIOS, WE RECEIVED NEW WINDS AND PRESSURE DATA AND WHILE RUNNING NEW DATA THROUGH OPC, WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 10000 FT AND I OBSERVED OUR IAS WAS APPROX 275 KTS. I DIRECTED FO TO SLOW ACFT TO 250 KTS AND HE IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED. WE WERE AT APPROX 9300 FT WHEN I NOTICED AIRSPD DEV. WE LANDED IN PVD WITH VERY STRONG WINDS AND MODERATE TURB. ENCOUNTER WITH TURB WAS COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED AND RIDES WERE SMOOTH UP TO THAT POINT. RADAR DID NOT DEPICT ANY SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION AND WAS IN AND OUT OF TURB MODE THROUGHOUT FLT. AIRSPD DEV WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO MY OVERBURDENING MY FO WITH DUTIES. I DON'T KNOW OF ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED REDUCE THE RISK OF ENCOUNTERING THE UNFORECASTED MODERATE TURB. I BELIEVE IF THE CABIN HAD BEEN SECURED IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD TAKEN THEIR SEATS EARLIER, NO INJURIES WOULD HAVE RESULTED. FLT ATTENDANTS DID NOT BEGIN THEIR SVC UNTIL WE LEVELED AT FL290 AND HAD 85 PAX. PERHAPS IF THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD NOT PERFORMED SVC OR STARTED SVC OUT OF 10000 FT, OR IF I HAD BEEN MORE DIRECT IN EXPRESSING OUR CONCERNS FOR THEIR SAFETY, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE EXPEDITIOUS IN SECURING CABIN.

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.