Narrative:

Encountered light chop in cirrus layer at FL350. I turned on the seat belt sign and requested FL370. The request was denied. Radar showed no returns and reported WX and turbulence was well to the south of our position. About 50 NM later, we encountered moderate chop, and I instructed the flight attendants to be seated. A short time later we encountered several strong up- and downdrafts. One of our flight attendants had not made it to her seat and was injured. A doctor on board examined her and recommended hospitalization as soon as possible. I coordinated with dispatch and diverted to slc. I requested and received priority handling. The flight attendant was taken to a salt lake hospital. This unexpected encounter with turbulence underscores the need for flight attendants to be quick in their response to cockpit orders to be seated for turbulence, either to their assigned seats or any available seat with a seat belt. All too often flight attendants assume that if turbulence is not now uncomfortable it will not get worse. Supplemental information from acn 305929: I think that if we had been given a climb when we requested it and not told to standby for 20 mins we would not have encountered the turbulence from the building WX. We were also very lucky that all our passenger remained in their seats when we put the seat belt sign on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ENCOUNTERS TURB AT CRUISE. CABIN ATTENDANT INJURED. DIVERT LAND.

Narrative: ENCOUNTERED LIGHT CHOP IN CIRRUS LAYER AT FL350. I TURNED ON THE SEAT BELT SIGN AND REQUESTED FL370. THE REQUEST WAS DENIED. RADAR SHOWED NO RETURNS AND RPTED WX AND TURB WAS WELL TO THE S OF OUR POS. ABOUT 50 NM LATER, WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE CHOP, AND I INSTRUCTED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE SEATED. A SHORT TIME LATER WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERAL STRONG UP- AND DOWNDRAFTS. ONE OF OUR FLT ATTENDANTS HAD NOT MADE IT TO HER SEAT AND WAS INJURED. A DOCTOR ON BOARD EXAMINED HER AND RECOMMENDED HOSPITALIZATION ASAP. I COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH AND DIVERTED TO SLC. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED PRIORITY HANDLING. THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS TAKEN TO A SALT LAKE HOSPITAL. THIS UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER WITH TURB UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE QUICK IN THEIR RESPONSE TO COCKPIT ORDERS TO BE SEATED FOR TURB, EITHER TO THEIR ASSIGNED SEATS OR ANY AVAILABLE SEAT WITH A SEAT BELT. ALL TOO OFTEN FLT ATTENDANTS ASSUME THAT IF TURB IS NOT NOW UNCOMFORTABLE IT WILL NOT GET WORSE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 305929: I THINK THAT IF WE HAD BEEN GIVEN A CLB WHEN WE REQUESTED IT AND NOT TOLD TO STANDBY FOR 20 MINS WE WOULD NOT HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE TURB FROM THE BUILDING WX. WE WERE ALSO VERY LUCKY THAT ALL OUR PAX REMAINED IN THEIR SEATS WHEN WE PUT THE SEAT BELT SIGN ON.

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.