Narrative:

Inbound to saipan, we noted an area of thunderstorms. I switched the seat belt sign on, asked the flight attendants to clean up the cabin, and made a PA to the passenger to remain seated. We were able to pick our way through in the clear with only a few bumps. Outbound on the return flight 2 hours later, I did not ask the cabin crew to remain seated or curtail service as I felt confident we could make our climb in the clear. We delayed our takeoff due to squalls moving over spn airport. After takeoff, we encountered similar conditions to that we had inbound and climbed in the clear, deviating 10-15 mi left and right of the airway (center approved). We were just about to level at FL350. The winds at altitude were out of the east (030- 090 degrees at 20 KTS) and we were deviating to the east of a buildup. (Note: these storms appeared old and dying. No lightning or building activity. The cells gave very weak return on radar in 'normal' or 'contour' mode. The cells appeared as areas of precipitation in 'map' mode.) there was a thin layer of cirrus that appeared somewhat associated with the cell to the west. Upon entering the cirrus we experienced 10-15 seconds of moderate turbulence with one shock of severe (estimate plus 2 to minus .5 G) that lasted 3-5 seconds. Although the seat belt sign was on, several passenger who were not wearing seat belts were thrown from seats and injured. 5 flight attendants were thrown against the ceiling and also injured.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ENCOUNTERS TURB. PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS INJURED.

Narrative: INBOUND TO SAIPAN, WE NOTED AN AREA OF TSTMS. I SWITCHED THE SEAT BELT SIGN ON, ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO CLEAN UP THE CABIN, AND MADE A PA TO THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED. WE WERE ABLE TO PICK OUR WAY THROUGH IN THE CLR WITH ONLY A FEW BUMPS. OUTBOUND ON THE RETURN FLT 2 HRS LATER, I DID NOT ASK THE CABIN CREW TO REMAIN SEATED OR CURTAIL SVC AS I FELT CONFIDENT WE COULD MAKE OUR CLB IN THE CLR. WE DELAYED OUR TKOF DUE TO SQUALLS MOVING OVER SPN ARPT. AFTER TKOF, WE ENCOUNTERED SIMILAR CONDITIONS TO THAT WE HAD INBOUND AND CLBED IN THE CLR, DEVIATING 10-15 MI L AND R OF THE AIRWAY (CTR APPROVED). WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO LEVEL AT FL350. THE WINDS AT ALT WERE OUT OF THE E (030- 090 DEGS AT 20 KTS) AND WE WERE DEVIATING TO THE E OF A BUILDUP. (NOTE: THESE STORMS APPEARED OLD AND DYING. NO LIGHTNING OR BUILDING ACTIVITY. THE CELLS GAVE VERY WEAK RETURN ON RADAR IN 'NORMAL' OR 'CONTOUR' MODE. THE CELLS APPEARED AS AREAS OF PRECIPITATION IN 'MAP' MODE.) THERE WAS A THIN LAYER OF CIRRUS THAT APPEARED SOMEWHAT ASSOCIATED WITH THE CELL TO THE W. UPON ENTERING THE CIRRUS WE EXPERIENCED 10-15 SECONDS OF MODERATE TURB WITH ONE SHOCK OF SEVERE (ESTIMATE PLUS 2 TO MINUS .5 G) THAT LASTED 3-5 SECONDS. ALTHOUGH THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS ON, SEVERAL PAX WHO WERE NOT WEARING SEAT BELTS WERE THROWN FROM SEATS AND INJURED. 5 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE THROWN AGAINST THE CEILING AND ALSO INJURED.

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.