Severe turbulence injury.

Attributes
ACN	293223
Time
Date	199501
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mod
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time total : 14000
ASRS Report	293223
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
ASRS Report	293835
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : regained aircraft control other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While level at FL310, 80 NM east of mod VOR, we were cruising at mach .74 in the clouds, cirrus-cumulus type, when we encountered severe turbulence approaching the sierra nevada mountain range. The seat belt sign was off, we had previously had light turbulence continually at FL350, descended to FL310 and it was relatively smooth, so at that time the seat sign was turned off. Although all the passenger were seated, the flight attendants were up and working. In the turbulence, which pitched and rolled the aircraft up 500 ft and then down 500 ft, 1 flight attendant was injured when thrown against the ceiling, then to the floor in the aft section of the aircraft. Paramedics met the arrival in sfo, and transferred the flight attendant to a hospital for further care. The aircraft was inspected in sfo with no damage. We had no forecast of any such turbulence or any reports of turbulence, other than light, in the area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SEVERE TURB INJURY.

Narrative: WHILE LEVEL AT FL310, 80 NM E OF MOD VOR, WE WERE CRUISING AT MACH .74 IN THE CLOUDS, CIRRUS-CUMULUS TYPE, WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB APCHING THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAIN RANGE. THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS OFF, WE HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD LIGHT TURB CONTINUALLY AT FL350, DSNDED TO FL310 AND IT WAS RELATIVELY SMOOTH, SO AT THAT TIME THE SEAT SIGN WAS TURNED OFF. ALTHOUGH ALL THE PAX WERE SEATED, THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE UP AND WORKING. IN THE TURB, WHICH PITCHED AND ROLLED THE ACFT UP 500 FT AND THEN DOWN 500 FT, 1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS INJURED WHEN THROWN AGAINST THE CEILING, THEN TO THE FLOOR IN THE AFT SECTION OF THE ACFT. PARAMEDICS MET THE ARR IN SFO, AND TRANSFERRED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO A HOSPITAL FOR FURTHER CARE. THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED IN SFO WITH NO DAMAGE. WE HAD NO FORECAST OF ANY SUCH TURB OR ANY RPTS OF TURB, OTHER THAN LIGHT, IN THE AREA.

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.