Narrative:

In cruise from oldey AR3 to ilm; ZMA cleared us direct to ilm with clearance to deviate west for WX. First officer started to deviate 10 degrees left off course. We paralleled the course 20-25 NM west upwind well clear of WX; nothing painting ahead on the radar except for WX east of the original track. The ride was smooth and seatbelt sign was off. Suddenly we encountered moderate-severe turbulence duration 15-20 seconds; our airspeed +/-25 KTS and altitude +/-800 ft. I turned on the seatbelt sign immediately then returned my attention to maintaining control of the aircraft. Once things settled down; I called the purser to check on everyone; she informed me 3-5 passenger bumped their heads on the overhead bins and both flight attendants in coach bumped their heads on the ceiling and also hit the seats. One flight attendant could not continue to work so I told her to take a seat and she later vomited. I told iad station to have customer service supervisor and paramedics to meet us at gate to look at the passenger and flight attendant. The descent; approach; landing and taxi was uneventful. Supplemental information from acn 703251: circumnaving convective WX area to the west encountered severe turbulence. Aircraft flight path was greater than 25 NM from any radar echo and on the upwind side. ATC was notified and other aircraft were vectored away from area of severe turbulence. Other flight details included: position: 10 wnw perie. Altitude: FL390; altitude lost=800 ft bottoming out FL382; duration 5 seconds; recovery within 1 min. Airspeed: +/-25 KTS (.78 mach cruise; approximately 245 KTS down to 220 KTS). G load: 0-1.5; no overspd or over-G. Lastly; nothing painting on WX radar with tilt down -1.00 degrees at 80 mi range. Radar had been working accurately all day (second leg with same aircraft) with no known defects. No known human factors or aircraft system issues noted and aircraft landed uneventfully at iad.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 DIVERTING AROUND TSTMS ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB RESULTING IN AIRSPD FLUCTUATIONS OF PLUS OR MINUS 25 KTS AND ALT FLUCTUATIONS OF PLUS OR MINUS 800 FT; WITH APPARENTLY MINOR PAX AND FLT ATTENDANT INJURIES.

Narrative: IN CRUISE FROM OLDEY AR3 TO ILM; ZMA CLRED US DIRECT TO ILM WITH CLRNC TO DEVIATE W FOR WX. FO STARTED TO DEVIATE 10 DEGS L OFF COURSE. WE PARALLELED THE COURSE 20-25 NM W UPWIND WELL CLR OF WX; NOTHING PAINTING AHEAD ON THE RADAR EXCEPT FOR WX E OF THE ORIGINAL TRACK. THE RIDE WAS SMOOTH AND SEATBELT SIGN WAS OFF. SUDDENLY WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE-SEVERE TURB DURATION 15-20 SECONDS; OUR AIRSPD +/-25 KTS AND ALT +/-800 FT. I TURNED ON THE SEATBELT SIGN IMMEDIATELY THEN RETURNED MY ATTN TO MAINTAINING CTL OF THE ACFT. ONCE THINGS SETTLED DOWN; I CALLED THE PURSER TO CHK ON EVERYONE; SHE INFORMED ME 3-5 PAX BUMPED THEIR HEADS ON THE OVERHEAD BINS AND BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS IN COACH BUMPED THEIR HEADS ON THE CEILING AND ALSO HIT THE SEATS. ONE FLT ATTENDANT COULD NOT CONTINUE TO WORK SO I TOLD HER TO TAKE A SEAT AND SHE LATER VOMITED. I TOLD IAD STATION TO HAVE CUSTOMER SVC SUPVR AND PARAMEDICS TO MEET US AT GATE TO LOOK AT THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANT. THE DSCNT; APCH; LNDG AND TAXI WAS UNEVENTFUL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 703251: CIRCUMNAVING CONVECTIVE WX AREA TO THE W ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB. ACFT FLT PATH WAS GREATER THAN 25 NM FROM ANY RADAR ECHO AND ON THE UPWIND SIDE. ATC WAS NOTIFIED AND OTHER ACFT WERE VECTORED AWAY FROM AREA OF SEVERE TURB. OTHER FLT DETAILS INCLUDED: POS: 10 WNW PERIE. ALT: FL390; ALT LOST=800 FT BOTTOMING OUT FL382; DURATION 5 SECONDS; RECOVERY WITHIN 1 MIN. AIRSPD: +/-25 KTS (.78 MACH CRUISE; APPROX 245 KTS DOWN TO 220 KTS). G LOAD: 0-1.5; NO OVERSPD OR OVER-G. LASTLY; NOTHING PAINTING ON WX RADAR WITH TILT DOWN -1.00 DEGS AT 80 MI RANGE. RADAR HAD BEEN WORKING ACCURATELY ALL DAY (SECOND LEG WITH SAME ACFT) WITH NO KNOWN DEFECTS. NO KNOWN HUMAN FACTORS OR ACFT SYS ISSUES NOTED AND ACFT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT IAD.

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.