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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Flight crew of an large transport reports a passenger injury that was incurred during an encounter with sharp turbulence. The flight crew heard another air carrier report the turbulence just before the onset of the turbulence. There was no prior warning, so the cabin seat belt sign was not turned on.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 331885 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199603 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : cim |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab tracon : gdl |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 570 |
| ASRS Report | 331885 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 331886 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Shortly after passing directly over skx sharp turbulence was encountered. We were cruising in clear conditions and had no prior warning. The seat belt sign was not on. The onset of turbulence was very sharp and violent followed by continuous chop and turbulence lessening as we continued eastbound. By the time we were abeam cim VOR (5-7 mins) conditions were smooth. Another aircraft had reported light to moderate chop and the controller answered that there had been other reports but none that far north. My copilot had just started to ask what his position was when we were hit by turbulence. An elderly woman was standing in the extreme aft end of the aircraft at onset. She was thrown against something and broke her upper right arm. A doctor was on board. He stabilized the passenger's arm and a decision was made to continue to ord (versus landing in den). Perhaps it would have been helpful to have had earlier notification of chop or mountain wave in the area even though prior reports had all been south of our position.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN LGT RPTS A PAX INJURY THAT WAS INCURRED DURING AN ENCOUNTER WITH SHARP TURB. THE FLC HEARD ANOTHER ACR RPT THE TURB JUST BEFORE THE ONSET OF THE TURB. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING, SO THE CABIN SEAT BELT SIGN WAS NOT TURNED ON.
Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER PASSING DIRECTLY OVER SKX SHARP TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED. WE WERE CRUISING IN CLR CONDITIONS AND HAD NO PRIOR WARNING. THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS NOT ON. THE ONSET OF TURB WAS VERY SHARP AND VIOLENT FOLLOWED BY CONTINUOUS CHOP AND TURB LESSENING AS WE CONTINUED EBOUND. BY THE TIME WE WERE ABEAM CIM VOR (5-7 MINS) CONDITIONS WERE SMOOTH. ANOTHER ACFT HAD RPTED LIGHT TO MODERATE CHOP AND THE CTLR ANSWERED THAT THERE HAD BEEN OTHER RPTS BUT NONE THAT FAR N. MY COPLT HAD JUST STARTED TO ASK WHAT HIS POS WAS WHEN WE WERE HIT BY TURB. AN ELDERLY WOMAN WAS STANDING IN THE EXTREME AFT END OF THE ACFT AT ONSET. SHE WAS THROWN AGAINST SOMETHING AND BROKE HER UPPER R ARM. A DOCTOR WAS ON BOARD. HE STABILIZED THE PAX'S ARM AND A DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE TO ORD (VERSUS LNDG IN DEN). PERHAPS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO HAVE HAD EARLIER NOTIFICATION OF CHOP OR MOUNTAIN WAVE IN THE AREA EVEN THOUGH PRIOR RPTS HAD ALL BEEN S OF OUR POS.
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.