Narrative:

Flight planning, preflight, pushback and engine start were normal. Takeoff and climb out were normal with an east departure. On a heading of 090 degrees assigned, we were issued a clearance to climb to 14000 ft and turn left to a northwest heading (330-340 degrees?) and join the mccoy 5 departure with the sav transition. In the turn we requested deviation east of course due to thunderstorms. (This request would keep us in the clear and away from the thunderstorms.) ATC denied this request because of inbound traffic already deviating in the area. We then began deviating west of course. Northwest of crg VOR, an opening was showing on radar that had sufficient size and distance for safe flight between cells. The radar also showed that it was clear on the other side of the thunderstorms. This appeared to be the best course at this time, the captain ensured the seat belt sign was 'on' and told the flight engineer to make sure the cabin attendants were seated. Upon entering this area, the cockpit experienced 10-15 seconds of turbulence. The turbulence ended when the aircraft came out the backside into smooth air and clear sky conditions. We turned northeast and had to deviate 15-20 degrees right to go around an overhang after the initial turn. The type of and duration of turbulence as defined by the 'turbulence reporting criteria table' experienced in the cockpit was as follows: intermittent light turbulence for up to 11 seconds, moderate chop for 4-5 seconds. The remainder of this flight segment was normal and without incident involving WX. Some time passed before we were informed that a flight attendant was injured in the rear cabin. The captain was informed that one of the flight attendants was a nurse and was evaluating the needs of the injured. This is when we found out that 2 additional flight attendants were injured. Dispatch in fll was then phone patched and informed of the problem. We then diverted to bangor, me, because it is known to be able to handle our aircraft needs, excellent medical ctrs nearby, and WX that was clear with no reported turbulence. (Tropical storm was affecting almost the entire east coast.) after landing, the 3 flight attendants were removed and sent to the hospital by trained medical personnel. I then heard that a 4TH flight attendant had a sore and swollen knee but did not want medical attention. After about 45 mins to 1 hour, he decided to go to the hospital to have it looked at. I was informed by the captain that while he was at the hospital, the flight attendant with the sore and swollen knee called crew scheduling and informed them that he would be returning to the flight. The captain received a cell phone call from a city official to inform him that he was returning the flight attendant to the airport. The captain asked to speak to the flight attendant to determine if he, the flight attendant, felt he could perform his safety duties including emergency evacuate/evacuation. He replied that he was capable in performing his safety related duties and emergency evacuate/evacuation duties. Out of the 4 injured attendants, 1 had a fractured collar bone, 2 had bruises and pulled tendons and sore joints, and 1 had a sore and swollen knee. To avoid this, pilots need to stress importance of being seated and belted as fast as possible when told to do so. Also, not to begin passenger service with WX in area unless pilots ok this service. The head flight attendant was told the first 1 hour and 30 mins might be rough and hold all service to minimum. For WX avoidance, ensure ATC understands conditions and stress that you do not want to go into an area to help them, even when you have a good on board radar.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ACFT IN CLB ENCOUNTERED WX AND TURB. RPTR FO SAYS THE ENCOUNTER WAS 10-15 SECONDS WITH SEVERITY UP TO MODERATE CHOP. 4 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE INJURED DURING THE ENCOUNTER.

Narrative: FLT PLANNING, PREFLT, PUSHBACK AND ENG START WERE NORMAL. TKOF AND CLBOUT WERE NORMAL WITH AN E DEP. ON A HDG OF 090 DEGS ASSIGNED, WE WERE ISSUED A CLRNC TO CLB TO 14000 FT AND TURN L TO A NW HEADING (330-340 DEGS?) AND JOIN THE MCCOY 5 DEP WITH THE SAV TRANSITION. IN THE TURN WE REQUESTED DEV E OF COURSE DUE TO TSTMS. (THIS REQUEST WOULD KEEP US IN THE CLR AND AWAY FROM THE TSTMS.) ATC DENIED THIS REQUEST BECAUSE OF INBOUND TFC ALREADY DEVIATING IN THE AREA. WE THEN BEGAN DEVIATING W OF COURSE. NW OF CRG VOR, AN OPENING WAS SHOWING ON RADAR THAT HAD SUFFICIENT SIZE AND DISTANCE FOR SAFE FLT BTWN CELLS. THE RADAR ALSO SHOWED THAT IT WAS CLR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TSTMS. THIS APPEARED TO BE THE BEST COURSE AT THIS TIME, THE CAPT ENSURED THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS 'ON' AND TOLD THE FE TO MAKE SURE THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE SEATED. UPON ENTERING THIS AREA, THE COCKPIT EXPERIENCED 10-15 SECONDS OF TURB. THE TURB ENDED WHEN THE ACFT CAME OUT THE BACKSIDE INTO SMOOTH AIR AND CLR SKY CONDITIONS. WE TURNED NE AND HAD TO DEVIATE 15-20 DEGS R TO GO AROUND AN OVERHANG AFTER THE INITIAL TURN. THE TYPE OF AND DURATION OF TURB AS DEFINED BY THE 'TURB RPTING CRITERIA TABLE' EXPERIENCED IN THE COCKPIT WAS AS FOLLOWS: INTERMITTENT LIGHT TURB FOR UP TO 11 SECONDS, MODERATE CHOP FOR 4-5 SECONDS. THE REMAINDER OF THIS FLT SEGMENT WAS NORMAL AND WITHOUT INCIDENT INVOLVING WX. SOME TIME PASSED BEFORE WE WERE INFORMED THAT A FLT ATTENDANT WAS INJURED IN THE REAR CABIN. THE CAPT WAS INFORMED THAT ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS WAS A NURSE AND WAS EVALUATING THE NEEDS OF THE INJURED. THIS IS WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT 2 ADDITIONAL FLT ATTENDANTS WERE INJURED. DISPATCH IN FLL WAS THEN PHONE PATCHED AND INFORMED OF THE PROB. WE THEN DIVERTED TO BANGOR, ME, BECAUSE IT IS KNOWN TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE OUR ACFT NEEDS, EXCELLENT MEDICAL CTRS NEARBY, AND WX THAT WAS CLR WITH NO RPTED TURB. (TROPICAL STORM WAS AFFECTING ALMOST THE ENTIRE EAST COAST.) AFTER LNDG, THE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE REMOVED AND SENT TO THE HOSPITAL BY TRAINED MEDICAL PERSONNEL. I THEN HEARD THAT A 4TH FLT ATTENDANT HAD A SORE AND SWOLLEN KNEE BUT DID NOT WANT MEDICAL ATTN. AFTER ABOUT 45 MINS TO 1 HR, HE DECIDED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. I WAS INFORMED BY THE CAPT THAT WHILE HE WAS AT THE HOSPITAL, THE FLT ATTENDANT WITH THE SORE AND SWOLLEN KNEE CALLED CREW SCHEDULING AND INFORMED THEM THAT HE WOULD BE RETURNING TO THE FLT. THE CAPT RECEIVED A CELL PHONE CALL FROM A CITY OFFICIAL TO INFORM HIM THAT HE WAS RETURNING THE FLT ATTENDANT TO THE ARPT. THE CAPT ASKED TO SPEAK TO THE FLT ATTENDANT TO DETERMINE IF HE, THE FLT ATTENDANT, FELT HE COULD PERFORM HIS SAFETY DUTIES INCLUDING EMER EVAC. HE REPLIED THAT HE WAS CAPABLE IN PERFORMING HIS SAFETY RELATED DUTIES AND EMER EVAC DUTIES. OUT OF THE 4 INJURED ATTENDANTS, 1 HAD A FRACTURED COLLAR BONE, 2 HAD BRUISES AND PULLED TENDONS AND SORE JOINTS, AND 1 HAD A SORE AND SWOLLEN KNEE. TO AVOID THIS, PLTS NEED TO STRESS IMPORTANCE OF BEING SEATED AND BELTED AS FAST AS POSSIBLE WHEN TOLD TO DO SO. ALSO, NOT TO BEGIN PAX SVC WITH WX IN AREA UNLESS PLTS OK THIS SVC. THE HEAD FLT ATTENDANT WAS TOLD THE FIRST 1 HR AND 30 MINS MIGHT BE ROUGH AND HOLD ALL SVC TO MINIMUM. FOR WX AVOIDANCE, ENSURE ATC UNDERSTANDS CONDITIONS AND STRESS THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO GO INTO AN AREA TO HELP THEM, EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE A GOOD ON BOARD RADAR.

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.