Narrative:

At approximately 180 NM west of dutch harbor, FL330, mach .83 in VFR conditions we experienced a few bumps of light to moderate chop. I turned on the fasten seat belt switch. Approximately 1 min later we suddenly encountered several severe bumps of turbulence. I immediately turned on the no smoking switch and first officer turned on ignition override. The aircraft banked left, pitched down, airspeed increased and the autoplt disconnected simultaneously. This turbulence lasted a few seconds, the air smoothed out for a few seconds and we then encountered another series of severe bumps for a few seconds causing the attitude, airspeed and altitude to be difficult to maintain. When the autoplt disconnected, I hand flew the aircraft and maintained a general attitude of wings and nose level without applying any abrupt or heavy control inputs. When the airspeed initially increased to near mmo, we slowed to mach .80. When the air became smooth, I engaged the autoplt. We checked the engine instruments and all aircraft system. Everything indicated normal. When the first severe bumps occurred, first officer immediately attempted to contact anchorage radio, but was unsuccessful. He then broadcast our position and flight conditions on the air to air frequency. After things stabilized, he was able to contact anchorage ATC on another frequency and make a report. I checked with #1 flight attendant about the cabin. She reported 3 flight attendants and 1 passenger injured. She also reported that several overhead bins had come open and some contents had been thrown out. Later flight attendant gave me the list of injured flight attendants and 1 passenger. Flight attendant requested that paramedics meet the flight at dfw to check passenger before she continued on her through flight. I walked through the cabin and talked with flight attendant. From her report of the injuries, I made the decision that the injuries were not severe enough to land. I then made a report to fort worth dispatch by ACARS requesting paramedics meet the aircraft at dfw. Dispatcher sent a message back by ACARS requesting we contact him by phone patch. I did this and advised him that we were continuing to dfw because injuries did not appear severe enough to land en route and all engines and system were normal. I also requested a psm meet the aircraft. We wrote the encounter with severe turbulence in the aircraft logbook so the aircraft would be inspected at dfw. The flight continued and landed without further incident. Paramedics took passenger to the hospital and flight attendant supervisors met the aircraft and talked to the injured flight attendants.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SEVERE TURB. INJURIES.

Narrative: AT APPROX 180 NM W OF DUTCH HARBOR, FL330, MACH .83 IN VFR CONDITIONS WE EXPERIENCED A FEW BUMPS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE CHOP. I TURNED ON THE FASTEN SEAT BELT SWITCH. APPROX 1 MIN LATER WE SUDDENLY ENCOUNTERED SEVERAL SEVERE BUMPS OF TURB. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON THE NO SMOKING SWITCH AND FO TURNED ON IGNITION OVERRIDE. THE ACFT BANKED L, PITCHED DOWN, AIRSPD INCREASED AND THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED SIMULTANEOUSLY. THIS TURB LASTED A FEW SECONDS, THE AIR SMOOTHED OUT FOR A FEW SECONDS AND WE THEN ENCOUNTERED ANOTHER SERIES OF SEVERE BUMPS FOR A FEW SECONDS CAUSING THE ATTITUDE, AIRSPD AND ALT TO BE DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN. WHEN THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED, I HAND FLEW THE ACFT AND MAINTAINED A GENERAL ATTITUDE OF WINGS AND NOSE LEVEL WITHOUT APPLYING ANY ABRUPT OR HVY CTL INPUTS. WHEN THE AIRSPD INITIALLY INCREASED TO NEAR MMO, WE SLOWED TO MACH .80. WHEN THE AIR BECAME SMOOTH, I ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT. WE CHKED THE ENG INSTS AND ALL ACFT SYS. EVERYTHING INDICATED NORMAL. WHEN THE FIRST SEVERE BUMPS OCCURRED, FO IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ANCHORAGE RADIO, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. HE THEN BROADCAST OUR POS AND FLT CONDITIONS ON THE AIR TO AIR FREQ. AFTER THINGS STABILIZED, HE WAS ABLE TO CONTACT ANCHORAGE ATC ON ANOTHER FREQ AND MAKE A RPT. I CHKED WITH #1 FLT ATTENDANT ABOUT THE CABIN. SHE RPTED 3 FLT ATTENDANTS AND 1 PAX INJURED. SHE ALSO RPTED THAT SEVERAL OVERHEAD BINS HAD COME OPEN AND SOME CONTENTS HAD BEEN THROWN OUT. LATER FLT ATTENDANT GAVE ME THE LIST OF INJURED FLT ATTENDANTS AND 1 PAX. FLT ATTENDANT REQUESTED THAT PARAMEDICS MEET THE FLT AT DFW TO CHK PAX BEFORE SHE CONTINUED ON HER THROUGH FLT. I WALKED THROUGH THE CABIN AND TALKED WITH FLT ATTENDANT. FROM HER RPT OF THE INJURIES, I MADE THE DECISION THAT THE INJURIES WERE NOT SEVERE ENOUGH TO LAND. I THEN MADE A RPT TO FORT WORTH DISPATCH BY ACARS REQUESTING PARAMEDICS MEET THE ACFT AT DFW. DISPATCHER SENT A MESSAGE BACK BY ACARS REQUESTING WE CONTACT HIM BY PHONE PATCH. I DID THIS AND ADVISED HIM THAT WE WERE CONTINUING TO DFW BECAUSE INJURIES DID NOT APPEAR SEVERE ENOUGH TO LAND ENRTE AND ALL ENGS AND SYS WERE NORMAL. I ALSO REQUESTED A PSM MEET THE ACFT. WE WROTE THE ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE TURB IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK SO THE ACFT WOULD BE INSPECTED AT DFW. THE FLT CONTINUED AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. PARAMEDICS TOOK PAX TO THE HOSPITAL AND FLT ATTENDANT SUPVRS MET THE ACFT AND TALKED TO THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANTS.

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.