Flight crew of an air carrier cruising at FL350 experienced severe turbulence resulting in diverting to land and requesting that paramedics meet aircraft for cabin crew and passenger injuries.

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Attributes
ACN	345974
Time
Date	199608
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cha
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl tower : den
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	345974
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Flight en route from tampa to indianapolis as approximately 20 mi east of chattanooga, tn, when the flight encountered extreme turbulence. The crew informed that they had encountered extreme turbulence and requested clearance to the nearest airport which happened to be chattanooga. The crew sent an ACARS message to dispatch to advise us what had happened. Chattanooga operations was advised to expect the flight and that paramedics would be needed to meet the flight. Speaking to the captain, I learned the aircraft was on B channel autoplt at FL350. The radar was turned on and set on the 80 mi range with no returns being projected on his screen. The seat belt sign was turned off at the time the turbulence was encountered. When the aircraft first encountered the turbulence, the aircraft rose 400 ft at which time the cockpit crew took over control of the aircraft. The crew reported the turbulence lasted approximately 7 seconds.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN ACR CRUISING AT FL350 EXPERIENCED SEVERE TURB RESULTING IN DIVERTING TO LAND AND REQUESTING THAT PARAMEDICS MEET ACFT FOR CABIN CREW AND PAX INJURIES.

Narrative: FLT ENRTE FROM TAMPA TO INDIANAPOLIS AS APPROX 20 MI E OF CHATTANOOGA, TN, WHEN THE FLT ENCOUNTERED EXTREME TURB. THE CREW INFORMED THAT THEY HAD ENCOUNTERED EXTREME TURB AND REQUESTED CLRNC TO THE NEAREST ARPT WHICH HAPPENED TO BE CHATTANOOGA. THE CREW SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE TO DISPATCH TO ADVISE US WHAT HAD HAPPENED. CHATTANOOGA OPS WAS ADVISED TO EXPECT THE FLT AND THAT PARAMEDICS WOULD BE NEEDED TO MEET THE FLT. SPEAKING TO THE CAPT, I LEARNED THE ACFT WAS ON B CHANNEL AUTOPLT AT FL350. THE RADAR WAS TURNED ON AND SET ON THE 80 MI RANGE WITH NO RETURNS BEING PROJECTED ON HIS SCREEN. THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS TURNED OFF AT THE TIME THE TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED. WHEN THE ACFT FIRST ENCOUNTERED THE TURB, THE ACFT ROSE 400 FT AT WHICH TIME THE COCKPIT CREW TOOK OVER CTL OF THE ACFT. THE CREW RPTED THE TURB LASTED APPROX 7 SECONDS.

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.