Narrative:

We were en route to lexington, ky, deviating to avoid thunderstorms when the WX radar failed and we had to return to bna, the designated alternate. We encountered cloud-to-cloud lightning, rain, and turbulence as we tried to find a route around an east/west line of thunderstorms. Turbulence was moderate. Our radar was showing numerous level 4-5 storms with radar shadows. We were in what was painting as clear when we hit wind shear with a loss of altitude and airspeed. Our radar either began to malfunction or was already malfunctioning. We asked ATC and finally company dispatch for a rerte. As we began the rerte the radar screen showed only green when mins earlier we were looking at large areas of red. We decided to return to nashville. During deplaning a female passenger could not stand up. Medical help was called and they reported a bump on her head. Whether it was caused by turbulence - - unknown. No passenger notified the crew the passenger needed help until deplaning. Our duty day was terrible: bna-bmi-bna- tup-bna-lex. Our aircraft was late inbound. The knob on our transponder fell off in bmi. WX avoidance caused problems with ATC bmi-bna. Freon air conditioning failed in tup, cabin temperature 101 degrees. We had to situation out a storm on the ramp at bna just prior to bna-tup leg. I had made 4 maintenance PIREPS on the airplane for minor problems and got an 'attitude' from the mechanics. Captain and first officer had a discussion on the proper method to avoid turbulence and thunderstorms because there was not an easily reached crew decision on the bmi-bna leg. I feel these chain of events with heat fatigue and fatigue on the 5 leg duty day with WX, pushed the crew to their stress limits. Judgement was ok but we were 'stressed out.' we still functioned ok as a crew but we almost had to 'force it.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX BEHAVIOR PERSONAL INJURY DISCOVERED AFTER DIVERSION TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE TO LEXINGTON, KY, DEVIATING TO AVOID TSTMS WHEN THE WX RADAR FAILED AND WE HAD TO RETURN TO BNA, THE DESIGNATED ALTERNATE. WE ENCOUNTERED CLOUD-TO-CLOUD LIGHTNING, RAIN, AND TURB AS WE TRIED TO FIND A RTE AROUND AN E/W LINE OF TSTMS. TURB WAS MODERATE. OUR RADAR WAS SHOWING NUMEROUS LEVEL 4-5 STORMS WITH RADAR SHADOWS. WE WERE IN WHAT WAS PAINTING AS CLR WHEN WE HIT WIND SHEAR WITH A LOSS OF ALT AND AIRSPD. OUR RADAR EITHER BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION OR WAS ALREADY MALFUNCTIONING. WE ASKED ATC AND FINALLY COMPANY DISPATCH FOR A RERTE. AS WE BEGAN THE RERTE THE RADAR SCREEN SHOWED ONLY GREEN WHEN MINS EARLIER WE WERE LOOKING AT LARGE AREAS OF RED. WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO NASHVILLE. DURING DEPLANING A FEMALE PAX COULD NOT STAND UP. MEDICAL HELP WAS CALLED AND THEY RPTED A BUMP ON HER HEAD. WHETHER IT WAS CAUSED BY TURB - - UNKNOWN. NO PAX NOTIFIED THE CREW THE PAX NEEDED HELP UNTIL DEPLANING. OUR DUTY DAY WAS TERRIBLE: BNA-BMI-BNA- TUP-BNA-LEX. OUR ACFT WAS LATE INBOUND. THE KNOB ON OUR XPONDER FELL OFF IN BMI. WX AVOIDANCE CAUSED PROBS WITH ATC BMI-BNA. FREON AIR CONDITIONING FAILED IN TUP, CABIN TEMP 101 DEGS. WE HAD TO SIT OUT A STORM ON THE RAMP AT BNA JUST PRIOR TO BNA-TUP LEG. I HAD MADE 4 MAINT PIREPS ON THE AIRPLANE FOR MINOR PROBS AND GOT AN 'ATTITUDE' FROM THE MECHS. CAPT AND FO HAD A DISCUSSION ON THE PROPER METHOD TO AVOID TURB AND TSTMS BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT AN EASILY REACHED CREW DECISION ON THE BMI-BNA LEG. I FEEL THESE CHAIN OF EVENTS WITH HEAT FATIGUE AND FATIGUE ON THE 5 LEG DUTY DAY WITH WX, PUSHED THE CREW TO THEIR STRESS LIMITS. JUDGEMENT WAS OK BUT WE WERE 'STRESSED OUT.' WE STILL FUNCTIONED OK AS A CREW BUT WE ALMOST HAD TO 'FORCE IT.'

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.