Narrative:

We heard a report of moderate chop from FL230 through FL270 from another aircraft and we queried ATC as to whether or not this would affect our route of flight. ATC confirmed that it would affect our route of flight. We were passing through FL225 at the time, so I immediately tried to call the purser on the interphone and when I did not receive a response right away, I made a PA stating, 'flight attendants take your seats.' we did have moderate chop from FL230 through FL270 and I sent a position report to dispatch indicating this ride condition. The ride smoothed out after we passed FL270 and I considered allowing the flight attendants to resume their duties and turning off the seat belt sign, but decided to delay that decision to make sure the ride would be smooth at our initial cruise altitude of FL350. Climbing through FL300 and passing approximately over the east texas VOR, we encountered severe turbulence for approximately 10 seconds. Immediately upon exiting the turbulence, we received an interphone call saying that we had injured flight attendants in the aft galley of the aircraft and that they were paging to see if there was a physician on board. A physician on board did respond and I requested that the purser evaluate the situation and report back to me. The first officer, the purser, and I discussed the situation and eventually came to the conclusion that we should divert to seek medical attention since we had flight attendants with injuries and some flight attendants whose injuries appeared somewhat serious (neck injuries). Additionally, these 4 flight attendants would not have been available to accomplish their normal duties en route and by landing, we could obtain a full crew compliment for the remainder of the flight to lax. I informed dispatch of our plan to divert at that point and they concurred. We declared an emergency to receive priority handling. Upon gate arrival, the paramedics and air carrier medical staff came on board and removed the injured flight attendants. I believe that continued education of crew members regarding turbulence is essential. The flight attendants involved in this incident later told me that some of them heard my earlier PA telling them to take their seats and some did not hear that PA. However, it should be stressed to them that they are also allowed to take their own initiative to take their seats whenever turbulence is encountered and not to wait for a PA or interphone call from the cockpit. Additionally, once the cockpit has made a PA instructing them to take their seats, the flight attendants should not resume their normal duties without specific instruction from the cockpit. Our flight attendants, in their desire to do the outstanding service that they provide to our customers, many times press the cockpit to let them resume their duties. I believe that having the flight attendants remain seated whenever there is even the slightest possibility of significant turbulence is the best policy. I plan to emphasize this in the briefs to my crews on future flts and to guide the flight attendants specifically in remaining seated when turbulence is encountered, forecast or reported by other aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-200 CAPT DECLARES AN EMER AND DIVERTS AFTER FLT ATTENDANTS BECOME INJURED DURING SEVERE TURB ENCOUNTER.

Narrative: WE HEARD A RPT OF MODERATE CHOP FROM FL230 THROUGH FL270 FROM ANOTHER ACFT AND WE QUERIED ATC AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS WOULD AFFECT OUR RTE OF FLT. ATC CONFIRMED THAT IT WOULD AFFECT OUR RTE OF FLT. WE WERE PASSING THROUGH FL225 AT THE TIME, SO I IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO CALL THE PURSER ON THE INTERPHONE AND WHEN I DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE RIGHT AWAY, I MADE A PA STATING, 'FLT ATTENDANTS TAKE YOUR SEATS.' WE DID HAVE MODERATE CHOP FROM FL230 THROUGH FL270 AND I SENT A POS RPT TO DISPATCH INDICATING THIS RIDE CONDITION. THE RIDE SMOOTHED OUT AFTER WE PASSED FL270 AND I CONSIDERED ALLOWING THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO RESUME THEIR DUTIES AND TURNING OFF THE SEAT BELT SIGN, BUT DECIDED TO DELAY THAT DECISION TO MAKE SURE THE RIDE WOULD BE SMOOTH AT OUR INITIAL CRUISE ALT OF FL350. CLBING THROUGH FL300 AND PASSING APPROX OVER THE EAST TEXAS VOR, WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB FOR APPROX 10 SECONDS. IMMEDIATELY UPON EXITING THE TURB, WE RECEIVED AN INTERPHONE CALL SAYING THAT WE HAD INJURED FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE AFT GALLEY OF THE ACFT AND THAT THEY WERE PAGING TO SEE IF THERE WAS A PHYSICIAN ON BOARD. A PHYSICIAN ON BOARD DID RESPOND AND I REQUESTED THAT THE PURSER EVALUATE THE SIT AND RPT BACK TO ME. THE FO, THE PURSER, AND I DISCUSSED THE SIT AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE SHOULD DIVERT TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTN SINCE WE HAD FLT ATTENDANTS WITH INJURIES AND SOME FLT ATTENDANTS WHOSE INJURIES APPEARED SOMEWHAT SERIOUS (NECK INJURIES). ADDITIONALLY, THESE 4 FLT ATTENDANTS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR NORMAL DUTIES ENRTE AND BY LNDG, WE COULD OBTAIN A FULL CREW COMPLIMENT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT TO LAX. I INFORMED DISPATCH OF OUR PLAN TO DIVERT AT THAT POINT AND THEY CONCURRED. WE DECLARED AN EMER TO RECEIVE PRIORITY HANDLING. UPON GATE ARR, THE PARAMEDICS AND ACR MEDICAL STAFF CAME ON BOARD AND REMOVED THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANTS. I BELIEVE THAT CONTINUED EDUCATION OF CREW MEMBERS REGARDING TURB IS ESSENTIAL. THE FLT ATTENDANTS INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT LATER TOLD ME THAT SOME OF THEM HEARD MY EARLIER PA TELLING THEM TO TAKE THEIR SEATS AND SOME DID NOT HEAR THAT PA. HOWEVER, IT SHOULD BE STRESSED TO THEM THAT THEY ARE ALSO ALLOWED TO TAKE THEIR OWN INITIATIVE TO TAKE THEIR SEATS WHENEVER TURB IS ENCOUNTERED AND NOT TO WAIT FOR A PA OR INTERPHONE CALL FROM THE COCKPIT. ADDITIONALLY, ONCE THE COCKPIT HAS MADE A PA INSTRUCTING THEM TO TAKE THEIR SEATS, THE FLT ATTENDANTS SHOULD NOT RESUME THEIR NORMAL DUTIES WITHOUT SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION FROM THE COCKPIT. OUR FLT ATTENDANTS, IN THEIR DESIRE TO DO THE OUTSTANDING SVC THAT THEY PROVIDE TO OUR CUSTOMERS, MANY TIMES PRESS THE COCKPIT TO LET THEM RESUME THEIR DUTIES. I BELIEVE THAT HAVING THE FLT ATTENDANTS REMAIN SEATED WHENEVER THERE IS EVEN THE SLIGHTEST POSSIBILITY OF SIGNIFICANT TURB IS THE BEST POLICY. I PLAN TO EMPHASIZE THIS IN THE BRIEFS TO MY CREWS ON FUTURE FLTS AND TO GUIDE THE FLT ATTENDANTS SPECIFICALLY IN REMAINING SEATED WHEN TURB IS ENCOUNTERED, FORECAST OR RPTED BY OTHER ACFT.

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.