B767 flight crew encounters severe turbulence.

Attributes
ACN	699187
Time
Date	200606
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : nzzo.artcc
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 32000
Environment
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : nzzo.artcc tower : ord.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-200
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	699187
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Weather Aircraft
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

We flew into the top of a thunderstorm and subjected the aircraft to approximately 30 seconds of severe turbulence. We were entering an area of known thunderstorms; which started at 5S. We had the radar on; 1 set on 40 NM range; and the other on 80 NM range. We were looking down 2 degrees. There were approximately 10 cells painting on the display. We were zigzagging through the cells when we flew into the abovementioned cell. It must have been a dry cell because we had no warning of it. The sliver of moon we had earlier had already set and it was pitch black. We turned the aircraft about 45 degrees to the left and flew out of the storm in about 20-30 seconds. The turbulence knocked over a serving cart in the aft part of coach and a flight attendant who would have been crushed by the cart hurt her ankle getting out of the way. Several passenger were splashed with cold or hot liquids.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURB.

Narrative: WE FLEW INTO THE TOP OF A TSTM AND SUBJECTED THE ACFT TO APPROX 30 SECONDS OF SEVERE TURB. WE WERE ENTERING AN AREA OF KNOWN TSTMS; WHICH STARTED AT 5S. WE HAD THE RADAR ON; 1 SET ON 40 NM RANGE; AND THE OTHER ON 80 NM RANGE. WE WERE LOOKING DOWN 2 DEGS. THERE WERE APPROX 10 CELLS PAINTING ON THE DISPLAY. WE WERE ZIGZAGGING THROUGH THE CELLS WHEN WE FLEW INTO THE ABOVEMENTIONED CELL. IT MUST HAVE BEEN A DRY CELL BECAUSE WE HAD NO WARNING OF IT. THE SLIVER OF MOON WE HAD EARLIER HAD ALREADY SET AND IT WAS PITCH BLACK. WE TURNED THE ACFT ABOUT 45 DEGS TO THE L AND FLEW OUT OF THE STORM IN ABOUT 20-30 SECONDS. THE TURB KNOCKED OVER A SERVING CART IN THE AFT PART OF COACH AND A FLT ATTENDANT WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN CRUSHED BY THE CART HURT HER ANKLE GETTING OUT OF THE WAY. SEVERAL PAX WERE SPLASHED WITH COLD OR HOT LIQUIDS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.