Narrative:

Contributing factors: industry wide cabin attendant disregard for seat belt sign and service priority orientation. The WX was reviewed on departure and an updated radar summary was received within 45 mins of departure. I briefed on the WX, suggesting a 2-3 hour delay in the meal service due to extensive WX along the east coast, and expected possible rerouting by ATC to a more westerly routing. Contingency fuel (6000 pounds) was added for this purpose. A predep PA to the passenger was made that included time en route, possible air turbulence on climb and the fasten seat belt sign observation instructions/precautions. Takeoff and initial climb out was normal and clear of clouds. Easterly deviation was requested, as there were large openings. This request was denied due to inbound aircraft deviating. We deviated to the west and then received clearance direct to craig VOR. Because of numerous cells and proximity to the clouds, I directed the flight engineer to instruct the flight attendants to remain seated at approximately 3 mins before we encountered moderate turbulence for approximately 10-15 seconds. Engine ignition and engine anti- ice were turned on as a precaution for possible instrument conditions. We were within 30 NM of craig VOR and climbing to assigned altitude of FL290. The incident occurred passing FL275 and no altitude excursions were experienced. The radar showed light precipitation with cells more than 5 mi away and wind at altitude was light and variable (090-160 degrees at 5-10 KTS). Immediately after this short period of IMC and turbulence, we were clear of clouds and turbulence. We remained clear of WX, mainly to the east of J174 on several direct clrncs that were given short of crossing these vors (sav, chs, ilm). Enclosure #1 (radar summary AB35Z jul/kk/97 is provided for information. Several mins after this, the flight deck was informed of possible injury to 2 flight attendants in the aft galley. The flight engineer went to the aft galley to assess and assist the situation. Medical evaluation was required and this assistance was requested from passenger resources at our suggestion. 1 registered nurse volunteered to assist the 2 injured flight attendants and an emergency kit was opened for her possible use. Additionally, one of the uninjured flight attendants, who also assisted the 2 injured flight attendants, was a former nurse with current credentials. 2 employees traveling on company business were experienced aviation maintenance personnel and voluntarily assisted with the situation. The remainder of the flight was smooth. ATC was notified of the WX when we were in the clear. Dispatch was called and notified. We informed them that we would call back after a more complete evaluation was made. Approximately 45 mins later, I requested an update from the in-flight director based on the medical nurse's evaluation. Her evaluation was as follows: 'a possible leg fracture, a possible dislocated shoulder, some minor cuts and bruises were reported along with 2 other flight attendants complaining of pains.' while there were no life threatening injuries (serious bleeding, breathing difficulties, heart irregularities, or distorted limbs) medical attention would be required. Another call was made to dispatch and bangor airport was chosen for reasons of WX, customs, aircraft handling capabilities, recent air carrier use of this airport and its excellent reputation. The current WX in the northeast united states was being affected by hurricane increasing in intensity off the east coast approximately 40 mi east of nantucket. The area WX around bangor and airport WX was good and out of hurricane's influence. Additional considerations of aircraft handling capabilities, runway length for a just under maximum gross weight landing, customs, passenger handling capabilities and company familiarity/experience with support companies, made bangor a good choice. Ground transportation to medical facilities would also be better in this uncongested small town. Also, bangor's previous use would give dispatch telephone number familiarity. This would reduce time for dispatch to coordinate medical and aircraft support. We notified ATC that we had to make a technical stop for medical attention that was not life threatening for 2 injured flight attendant crew members, changed our destination to bangor that was 65 mins away, and informed ATC that we would need to dump fuel. We also notified ATC both commencing and completing fuel dump. After landing at bangor, I took a pilot summary report and reports of the injuries from the in-flight director to operations to facsimile all information. In addition, we had 2 maintenance personnel riding to the united kingdom for maintenance coordination there. These gentlemen were very helpful to the flight attendant crew during the flight. While on the ground, a precautionary inspection of the aircraft was suggested and performed by these 2 experienced maintenance personnel. The aircraft did not sustain any damage due to this short duration of moderate turbulence. Due to initial medical information received from the medical facility and lack of any aircraft damage, drug testing was not requested or suggested.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WDB ENCOUNTERS MODERATE TURB DURING CLB IN ZJX, FL, AIRSPACE AND 2 FLT ATTENDANTS SUFFER INJURIES FROM BROKEN BONES TO BRUISES.

Narrative: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: INDUSTRY WIDE CABIN ATTENDANT DISREGARD FOR SEAT BELT SIGN AND SVC PRIORITY ORIENTATION. THE WX WAS REVIEWED ON DEP AND AN UPDATED RADAR SUMMARY WAS RECEIVED WITHIN 45 MINS OF DEP. I BRIEFED ON THE WX, SUGGESTING A 2-3 HR DELAY IN THE MEAL SVC DUE TO EXTENSIVE WX ALONG THE EAST COAST, AND EXPECTED POSSIBLE REROUTING BY ATC TO A MORE WESTERLY ROUTING. CONTINGENCY FUEL (6000 LBS) WAS ADDED FOR THIS PURPOSE. A PREDEP PA TO THE PAX WAS MADE THAT INCLUDED TIME ENRTE, POSSIBLE AIR TURB ON CLB AND THE FASTEN SEAT BELT SIGN OBSERVATION INSTRUCTIONS/PRECAUTIONS. TKOF AND INITIAL CLB OUT WAS NORMAL AND CLR OF CLOUDS. EASTERLY DEV WAS REQUESTED, AS THERE WERE LARGE OPENINGS. THIS REQUEST WAS DENIED DUE TO INBOUND ACFT DEVIATING. WE DEVIATED TO THE W AND THEN RECEIVED CLRNC DIRECT TO CRAIG VOR. BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS CELLS AND PROX TO THE CLOUDS, I DIRECTED THE FE TO INSTRUCT THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO REMAIN SEATED AT APPROX 3 MINS BEFORE WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB FOR APPROX 10-15 SECONDS. ENG IGNITION AND ENG ANTI- ICE WERE TURNED ON AS A PRECAUTION FOR POSSIBLE INST CONDITIONS. WE WERE WITHIN 30 NM OF CRAIG VOR AND CLBING TO ASSIGNED ALT OF FL290. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED PASSING FL275 AND NO ALT EXCURSIONS WERE EXPERIENCED. THE RADAR SHOWED LIGHT PRECIP WITH CELLS MORE THAN 5 MI AWAY AND WIND AT ALT WAS LIGHT AND VARIABLE (090-160 DEGS AT 5-10 KTS). IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS SHORT PERIOD OF IMC AND TURB, WE WERE CLR OF CLOUDS AND TURB. WE REMAINED CLR OF WX, MAINLY TO THE E OF J174 ON SEVERAL DIRECT CLRNCS THAT WERE GIVEN SHORT OF XING THESE VORS (SAV, CHS, ILM). ENCLOSURE #1 (RADAR SUMMARY AB35Z JUL/KK/97 IS PROVIDED FOR INFO. SEVERAL MINS AFTER THIS, THE FLT DECK WAS INFORMED OF POSSIBLE INJURY TO 2 FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE AFT GALLEY. THE FE WENT TO THE AFT GALLEY TO ASSESS AND ASSIST THE SIT. MEDICAL EVALUATION WAS REQUIRED AND THIS ASSISTANCE WAS REQUESTED FROM PAX RESOURCES AT OUR SUGGESTION. 1 REGISTERED NURSE VOLUNTEERED TO ASSIST THE 2 INJURED FLT ATTENDANTS AND AN EMER KIT WAS OPENED FOR HER POSSIBLE USE. ADDITIONALLY, ONE OF THE UNINJURED FLT ATTENDANTS, WHO ALSO ASSISTED THE 2 INJURED FLT ATTENDANTS, WAS A FORMER NURSE WITH CURRENT CREDENTIALS. 2 EMPLOYEES TRAVELING ON COMPANY BUSINESS WERE EXPERIENCED AVIATION MAINT PERSONNEL AND VOLUNTARILY ASSISTED WITH THE SIT. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS SMOOTH. ATC WAS NOTIFIED OF THE WX WHEN WE WERE IN THE CLR. DISPATCH WAS CALLED AND NOTIFIED. WE INFORMED THEM THAT WE WOULD CALL BACK AFTER A MORE COMPLETE EVALUATION WAS MADE. APPROX 45 MINS LATER, I REQUESTED AN UPDATE FROM THE INFLT DIRECTOR BASED ON THE MEDICAL NURSE'S EVALUATION. HER EVALUATION WAS AS FOLLOWS: 'A POSSIBLE LEG FRACTURE, A POSSIBLE DISLOCATED SHOULDER, SOME MINOR CUTS AND BRUISES WERE RPTED ALONG WITH 2 OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS COMPLAINING OF PAINS.' WHILE THERE WERE NO LIFE THREATENING INJURIES (SERIOUS BLEEDING, BREATHING DIFFICULTIES, HEART IRREGULARITIES, OR DISTORTED LIMBS) MEDICAL ATTN WOULD BE REQUIRED. ANOTHER CALL WAS MADE TO DISPATCH AND BANGOR ARPT WAS CHOSEN FOR REASONS OF WX, CUSTOMS, ACFT HANDLING CAPABILITIES, RECENT ACR USE OF THIS ARPT AND ITS EXCELLENT REPUTATION. THE CURRENT WX IN THE NE UNITED STATES WAS BEING AFFECTED BY HURRICANE INCREASING IN INTENSITY OFF THE EAST COAST APPROX 40 MI E OF NANTUCKET. THE AREA WX AROUND BANGOR AND ARPT WX WAS GOOD AND OUT OF HURRICANE'S INFLUENCE. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS OF ACFT HANDLING CAPABILITIES, RWY LENGTH FOR A JUST UNDER MAX GROSS WT LNDG, CUSTOMS, PAX HANDLING CAPABILITIES AND COMPANY FAMILIARITY/EXPERIENCE WITH SUPPORT COMPANIES, MADE BANGOR A GOOD CHOICE. GND TRANSPORTATION TO MEDICAL FACILITIES WOULD ALSO BE BETTER IN THIS UNCONGESTED SMALL TOWN. ALSO, BANGOR'S PREVIOUS USE WOULD GIVE DISPATCH TELEPHONE NUMBER FAMILIARITY. THIS WOULD REDUCE TIME FOR DISPATCH TO COORDINATE MEDICAL AND ACFT SUPPORT. WE NOTIFIED ATC THAT WE HAD TO MAKE A TECHNICAL STOP FOR MEDICAL ATTN THAT WAS NOT LIFE THREATENING FOR 2 INJURED FLT ATTENDANT CREW MEMBERS, CHANGED OUR DEST TO BANGOR THAT WAS 65 MINS AWAY, AND INFORMED ATC THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DUMP FUEL. WE ALSO NOTIFIED ATC BOTH COMMENCING AND COMPLETING FUEL DUMP. AFTER LNDG AT BANGOR, I TOOK A PLT SUMMARY RPT AND RPTS OF THE INJURIES FROM THE INFLT DIRECTOR TO OPS TO FAX ALL INFO. IN ADDITION, WE HAD 2 MAINT PERSONNEL RIDING TO THE UNITED KINGDOM FOR MAINT COORDINATION THERE. THESE GENTLEMEN WERE VERY HELPFUL TO THE FLT ATTENDANT CREW DURING THE FLT. WHILE ON THE GND, A PRECAUTIONARY INSPECTION OF THE ACFT WAS SUGGESTED AND PERFORMED BY THESE 2 EXPERIENCED MAINT PERSONNEL. THE ACFT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY DAMAGE DUE TO THIS SHORT DURATION OF MODERATE TURB. DUE TO INITIAL MEDICAL INFO RECEIVED FROM THE MEDICAL FACILITY AND LACK OF ANY ACFT DAMAGE, DRUG TESTING WAS NOT REQUESTED OR SUGGESTED.

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.