WX encounter. Injuries.

Attributes
ACN	308138
Time
Date	199506
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : flm
State Reference	KY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18500 msl bound upper : 18500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 5400 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	308138
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : investigated other other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On descent into cvg, the crew observed 2 small radar returns 20 mi directly in front of us. We turned on the seat belt sign at FL290 and observed the flight attendant making the seat belt PA. We asked for and were given clearance to deviation around the WX and ATC directed us to proceed direct to flm after clearing the WX. After passing the WX but before we were able to begin our turn to flm we hit a cumulus buildup that wasn't painting on the radar. Due to the hazy conditions, we were unable to visually acquire the buildup in time to avoid hitting it. 3 flight attendants and 1 passenger were hurt by the turbulence. I felt the flight crew did everything we could to avoid the situation. However, because the buildup wasn't painting on radar, and the reduced visibility prohibited us from visually avoiding the WX, the situation was unavoidable. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the buildup didn't show on radar and visibility was restr in haze, so by the time flight crew saw it, it was too lake to deviate. When hitting it there was just one moderate bump, but enough to throw the rear flight attendant to the floor and apparently hitting her head. It upset her greatly because she had just had a radial keratotomy and was told by the doctors to be careful of head injuries for awhile because it could cause blindness. However, she was ok. Another flight attendant had a cart in the aisle, picking up before landing who was thrown to the floor and the cart partially falling on her causing cracked ribs. The flight attendant in front hit the ceiling with injury to the neck soft tissue and is still off work. The passenger did not have the seat belt on and was thrown out of the seat into the aisle, but was not injured. FAA did extensive investigatory follow up debating if this incident should be classified an accident, but classified it an incident. Reporter says there was nothing they could have done differently to prevent the occurrence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WX ENCOUNTER. INJURIES.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO CVG, THE CREW OBSERVED 2 SMALL RADAR RETURNS 20 MI DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. WE TURNED ON THE SEAT BELT SIGN AT FL290 AND OBSERVED THE FLT ATTENDANT MAKING THE SEAT BELT PA. WE ASKED FOR AND WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO DEV AROUND THE WX AND ATC DIRECTED US TO PROCEED DIRECT TO FLM AFTER CLRING THE WX. AFTER PASSING THE WX BUT BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO BEGIN OUR TURN TO FLM WE HIT A CUMULUS BUILDUP THAT WASN'T PAINTING ON THE RADAR. DUE TO THE HAZY CONDITIONS, WE WERE UNABLE TO VISUALLY ACQUIRE THE BUILDUP IN TIME TO AVOID HITTING IT. 3 FLT ATTENDANTS AND 1 PAX WERE HURT BY THE TURB. I FELT THE FLC DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO AVOID THE SIT. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE BUILDUP WASN'T PAINTING ON RADAR, AND THE REDUCED VISIBILITY PROHIBITED US FROM VISUALLY AVOIDING THE WX, THE SIT WAS UNAVOIDABLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE BUILDUP DIDN'T SHOW ON RADAR AND VISIBILITY WAS RESTR IN HAZE, SO BY THE TIME FLC SAW IT, IT WAS TOO LAKE TO DEVIATE. WHEN HITTING IT THERE WAS JUST ONE MODERATE BUMP, BUT ENOUGH TO THROW THE REAR FLT ATTENDANT TO THE FLOOR AND APPARENTLY HITTING HER HEAD. IT UPSET HER GREATLY BECAUSE SHE HAD JUST HAD A RADIAL KERATOTOMY AND WAS TOLD BY THE DOCTORS TO BE CAREFUL OF HEAD INJURIES FOR AWHILE BECAUSE IT COULD CAUSE BLINDNESS. HOWEVER, SHE WAS OK. ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT HAD A CART IN THE AISLE, PICKING UP BEFORE LNDG WHO WAS THROWN TO THE FLOOR AND THE CART PARTIALLY FALLING ON HER CAUSING CRACKED RIBS. THE FLT ATTENDANT IN FRONT HIT THE CEILING WITH INJURY TO THE NECK SOFT TISSUE AND IS STILL OFF WORK. THE PAX DID NOT HAVE THE SEAT BELT ON AND WAS THROWN OUT OF THE SEAT INTO THE AISLE, BUT WAS NOT INJURED. FAA DID EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATORY FOLLOW UP DEBATING IF THIS INCIDENT SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED AN ACCIDENT, BUT CLASSIFIED IT AN INCIDENT. RPTR SAYS THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY TO PREVENT THE OCCURRENCE.

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.