In-flight injury to flight attendant.

Attributes
ACN	317026
Time
Date	199509
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iad
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10800 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	317026
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

As we climbed thru FL220, hand-off to ZDC controller advised of (previously unrpted) light to moderate chop from FL220 to FL350. Replied we were just then starting to get it. Immediately advised flight attendants to be seated. Had several bumps over next 5 mins or so, none more than moderate chop, but kind of abrupt and sudden. At FL390 in clear and smooth, told them they could resume service. Ride was smooth rest of flight. A flight attendant came up in about 20 min and said he had turned his ankle. The nature of that remark and the rest of conversation gave me and the first officer distinct impression he was kidding. He did not seem to be limping, nothing more said about it. He had been very sarcastic and flippant about nearly everything previous 2 days, seemed like more of same. Was informed 4 days later he had filed injury on duty report. So reported it myself. First officer was also surprised to hear he had filed. Feel like I've been 'blind-sided.' in future, will ask point blank if injured and what intentions are, no matter how flippant they are talking. Have a pretty good idea what is going on here, but nothing I can do about it but file report. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: because there was such a delay in reporting of the injury after the turbulence encounter, the reporter is not convinced that an actual injury did happen. The injured flight attendant was not talking in a convincing manner, as a matter of fact he seemed to be kidding. He was not observed to be limping or have any movement restrs. Flight operations called the reporter to inquire why a report was not submitted regarding the injury. Reporter stated that he was not aware of any actual injury. Reporter feels flight attendant wanted some time off so he reported his injury to their medical department to qualify for time off. Reporter feels there was nothing in the turbulence encountered to cause such an injury. Nevertheless, reporter is filing report as it is alleged an injury did take place.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT INJURY TO FLT ATTENDANT.

Narrative: AS WE CLBED THRU FL220, HAND-OFF TO ZDC CTLR ADVISED OF (PREVIOUSLY UNRPTED) LIGHT TO MODERATE CHOP FROM FL220 TO FL350. REPLIED WE WERE JUST THEN STARTING TO GET IT. IMMEDIATELY ADVISED FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE SEATED. HAD SEVERAL BUMPS OVER NEXT 5 MINS OR SO, NONE MORE THAN MODERATE CHOP, BUT KIND OF ABRUPT AND SUDDEN. AT FL390 IN CLR AND SMOOTH, TOLD THEM THEY COULD RESUME SVC. RIDE WAS SMOOTH REST OF FLT. A FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP IN ABOUT 20 MIN AND SAID HE HAD TURNED HIS ANKLE. THE NATURE OF THAT REMARK AND THE REST OF CONVERSATION GAVE ME AND THE FO DISTINCT IMPRESSION HE WAS KIDDING. HE DID NOT SEEM TO BE LIMPING, NOTHING MORE SAID ABOUT IT. HE HAD BEEN VERY SARCASTIC AND FLIPPANT ABOUT NEARLY EVERYTHING PREVIOUS 2 DAYS, SEEMED LIKE MORE OF SAME. WAS INFORMED 4 DAYS LATER HE HAD FILED INJURY ON DUTY RPT. SO RPTED IT MYSELF. FO WAS ALSO SURPRISED TO HEAR HE HAD FILED. FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN 'BLIND-SIDED.' IN FUTURE, WILL ASK POINT BLANK IF INJURED AND WHAT INTENTIONS ARE, NO MATTER HOW FLIPPANT THEY ARE TALKING. HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON HERE, BUT NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT BUT FILE RPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: BECAUSE THERE WAS SUCH A DELAY IN RPTING OF THE INJURY AFTER THE TURB ENCOUNTER, THE RPTR IS NOT CONVINCED THAT AN ACTUAL INJURY DID HAPPEN. THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT WAS NOT TALKING IN A CONVINCING MANNER, AS A MATTER OF FACT HE SEEMED TO BE KIDDING. HE WAS NOT OBSERVED TO BE LIMPING OR HAVE ANY MOVEMENT RESTRS. FLT OPS CALLED THE RPTR TO INQUIRE WHY A RPT WAS NOT SUBMITTED REGARDING THE INJURY. RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY ACTUAL INJURY. RPTR FEELS FLT ATTENDANT WANTED SOME TIME OFF SO HE RPTED HIS INJURY TO THEIR MEDICAL DEPT TO QUALIFY FOR TIME OFF. RPTR FEELS THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE TURB ENCOUNTERED TO CAUSE SUCH AN INJURY. NEVERTHELESS, RPTR IS FILING RPT AS IT IS ALLEGED AN INJURY DID TAKE PLACE.

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.