Narrative:

Level at FL370, mach .74. Entered a thin cloud layer and turned on seat belt sign. All passenger seated. We were watching a large cell on radar about 15-20 mi ahead and about 20 degrees right. (20 mi scope, tilt level to slightly low.) we turned 10 degrees left to further avoid cell. In the turn, radar picked up a small green/yellow return 4-5 mi on the nose. We turned back right to avoid it, and as we rolled out, return disappeared. About 10 seconds later, we encountered heavy rain and experienced some moderate aircraft buffeting. We then entered a strong updraft which lifted the aircraft 400-500 ft. The aircraft then suddenly dropped about 600-700 ft. We disconnected the autoplt, moved the start switches to flight and stabilized the aircraft at FL370. Ride was now smooth again. Senior flight attendant informed me that our 'C' flight attendant had hit her head on the aft galley ceiling and might have a neck injury. Also, 1 passenger had a small cut on his nose from flying debris. We informed our dispatch that we would need EMS, contract maintenance, and a replacement flight attendant in bna. I made several PA's to calm the passenger and explain what had happened. Landing in bna was uneventful. Contract maintenance inspected the aircraft. It was cleaned and one seat row was blocked off due to a broken arm rest. EMS transported our flight attendant to the hospital for observation and checked for any passenger injuries. Turbulence was sudden and unexpected. There was no time to seat the flight attendants. Suggest more handholds and possibly padding in galley areas to reduce future injuries of this nature.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 1 FLT ATTENDANT AND A PAX WERE INJURED AFTER A B737-300 HIT SEVERE TURB AT HIGH CRUISE ALT AFTER FLYING INTO CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH TSTMS. EMS MET THE ACFT AFTER LNDG AND TOOK THE FLT ATTENDANT TO THE HOSPITAL, THE PAX RECEIVED ONLY A CUT TO THE NOSE BY FLYING DEBRIS. NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND DURING INSPECTION OF THE ACFT.

Narrative: LEVEL AT FL370, MACH .74. ENTERED A THIN CLOUD LAYER AND TURNED ON SEAT BELT SIGN. ALL PAX SEATED. WE WERE WATCHING A LARGE CELL ON RADAR ABOUT 15-20 MI AHEAD AND ABOUT 20 DEGS R. (20 MI SCOPE, TILT LEVEL TO SLIGHTLY LOW.) WE TURNED 10 DEGS L TO FURTHER AVOID CELL. IN THE TURN, RADAR PICKED UP A SMALL GREEN/YELLOW RETURN 4-5 MI ON THE NOSE. WE TURNED BACK R TO AVOID IT, AND AS WE ROLLED OUT, RETURN DISAPPEARED. ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER, WE ENCOUNTERED HVY RAIN AND EXPERIENCED SOME MODERATE ACFT BUFFETING. WE THEN ENTERED A STRONG UPDRAFT WHICH LIFTED THE ACFT 400-500 FT. THE ACFT THEN SUDDENLY DROPPED ABOUT 600-700 FT. WE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT, MOVED THE START SWITCHES TO FLT AND STABILIZED THE ACFT AT FL370. RIDE WAS NOW SMOOTH AGAIN. SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED ME THAT OUR 'C' FLT ATTENDANT HAD HIT HER HEAD ON THE AFT GALLEY CEILING AND MIGHT HAVE A NECK INJURY. ALSO, 1 PAX HAD A SMALL CUT ON HIS NOSE FROM FLYING DEBRIS. WE INFORMED OUR DISPATCH THAT WE WOULD NEED EMS, CONTRACT MAINT, AND A REPLACEMENT FLT ATTENDANT IN BNA. I MADE SEVERAL PA'S TO CALM THE PAX AND EXPLAIN WHAT HAD HAPPENED. LNDG IN BNA WAS UNEVENTFUL. CONTRACT MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT. IT WAS CLEANED AND ONE SEAT ROW WAS BLOCKED OFF DUE TO A BROKEN ARM REST. EMS TRANSPORTED OUR FLT ATTENDANT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR OBSERVATION AND CHKED FOR ANY PAX INJURIES. TURB WAS SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED. THERE WAS NO TIME TO SEAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS. SUGGEST MORE HANDHOLDS AND POSSIBLY PADDING IN GALLEY AREAS TO REDUCE FUTURE INJURIES OF THIS NATURE.

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.