An air carrier MD83 flight crew hits moderate clear air turbulence and the aircraft pitches up and rolls to the left 30 degrees. The flight crew recovers with only a slight injury to 1 cabin attendant. Turbulence was not forecast.

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Attributes
ACN	362312
Time
Date	199703
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lkv
State Reference	OR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 32900 msl bound upper : 33100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-83
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	362312
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16524 flight time type : 3580
ASRS Report	362544
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

In cruise flight at FL330 mach .78 with the autoplt engaged, a slight burble was felt for approximately 2 seconds then immediate light turbulence. The aircraft rolled 30 degrees left and the autoplt kicked off. I slowly rolled the aircraft wings level and slowed to mach .756. The total occurrence lasted 20- 30 seconds. Altitude deviation was less than 100 ft. The turbulence stopped as abruptly as it started. The captain turned on the fasten seat belt sign, explained to the passenger what had occurred, and then told ZSE. Shortly thereafter, ZSE handed us off to ZOA and the captain notified ZOA. The captain called the flight attendants to determine all was ok. He was told that the 'B' flight attendant had injured her left ring finger. A food service cart had pinched it causing a blood blister under the nail. There were no other injuries. There had been no PIREPS or reports of turbulence and according to the company flight plan the tropopause/shear over lkv VOR was FL325.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD83 FLC HITS MODERATE CLR AIR TURB AND THE ACFT PITCHES UP AND ROLLS TO THE L 30 DEGS. THE FLC RECOVERS WITH ONLY A SLIGHT INJURY TO 1 CABIN ATTENDANT. TURB WAS NOT FORECAST.

Narrative: IN CRUISE FLT AT FL330 MACH .78 WITH THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED, A SLIGHT BURBLE WAS FELT FOR APPROX 2 SECONDS THEN IMMEDIATE LIGHT TURB. THE ACFT ROLLED 30 DEGS L AND THE AUTOPLT KICKED OFF. I SLOWLY ROLLED THE ACFT WINGS LEVEL AND SLOWED TO MACH .756. THE TOTAL OCCURRENCE LASTED 20- 30 SECONDS. ALTDEV WAS LESS THAN 100 FT. THE TURB STOPPED AS ABRUPTLY AS IT STARTED. THE CAPT TURNED ON THE FASTEN SEAT BELT SIGN, EXPLAINED TO THE PAX WHAT HAD OCCURRED, AND THEN TOLD ZSE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, ZSE HANDED US OFF TO ZOA AND THE CAPT NOTIFIED ZOA. THE CAPT CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO DETERMINE ALL WAS OK. HE WAS TOLD THAT THE 'B' FLT ATTENDANT HAD INJURED HER L RING FINGER. A FOOD SVC CART HAD PINCHED IT CAUSING A BLOOD BLISTER UNDER THE NAIL. THERE WERE NO OTHER INJURIES. THERE HAD BEEN NO PIREPS OR RPTS OF TURB AND ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY FLT PLAN THE TROPOPAUSE/SHEAR OVER LKV VOR WAS FL325.

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.