Narrative:

While flight planning, I noticed early morning PIREPS of moderate turbulence around anc, and the area forecast was the typical low altitude 'tempo' possible moderate turbulence at lower altitudes, mostly below 8000 ft. 'A' flight attendant advised of possible turbulence, but I would update WX later. En route to anc, we had obtained anc metar from juneau radio, and there was no mention of turbulence, just icing. Prior to descent, zan also said they had no reports of turbulence recently, and they asked a flight climbing out about the turbulence, and he said he had no complaints on the climb out. On descent, I turned on the seat belt sign early (26M), and first officer made the arrival announcement to prepare cabin/be seated prior to 10000 ft, and continued to descend. At about 8000 ft, we entered a small cumulus cloud (top at 9000 ft) that was painting absolutely nothing on the radar. Immediately, we received a jolt of moderate (high end) turbulence, with another one or two secondary moderate jolts, and then in the clear again. We reported this to ATC, and flight continued with occasional light turbulence, and landing was accomplished uneventfully. After clearing the active runways, I opened the cockpit door and asked 'a' flight attendant (forward) if everyone was all right. She said yes, but about 3 mins after arrival at gate, 'B' (mid) flight attendant called to say that she and 'C' (aft) flight attendant had been knocked around by the turbulence. I asked how badly they were hurt and if they wanted paramedics called, and she said she would call back. After anc passenger had deplaned, I proceeded to cabin and met 'B' flight attendant, who requested an ice pack. I again asked her if she wanted assistance or to be replaced. She declined, and meantime, the 'C' flight attendant hobbled forward and said she wanted to be replaced, and appeared to be in some discomfort. She said she just wanted to go to a hotel and lay down. I proceeded to anc operations and crew scheduling to obtain a room for 'C' flight attendant. Upon returning to aircraft, 'C' flight attendant appeared to be worse and paramedics were en route. Both flight attendants wound up going to local hospital for evaluation, with 'C' flight attendant remaining there for 2 nights. Standard procedure for all flight attendants going into anc (and jnu) should be to have cabin picked up and be seated/strapped in at 10000 ft, especially in non summer months. Also, more timely reports of recent turbulence are critical. Apparently, a flight that arrived less than 2 hours before us had encountered moderate turbulence (according to ground people), but they either did not report it, or ATC did not pass the report on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 EXPERIENCES SOME SHARP MOVEMENT OF ACFT DURING DSCNT ON APCH AT ANC, AK. 2 CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE INJURED.

Narrative: WHILE FLT PLANNING, I NOTICED EARLY MORNING PIREPS OF MODERATE TURB AROUND ANC, AND THE AREA FORECAST WAS THE TYPICAL LOW ALT 'TEMPO' POSSIBLE MODERATE TURB AT LOWER ALTS, MOSTLY BELOW 8000 FT. 'A' FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED OF POSSIBLE TURB, BUT I WOULD UPDATE WX LATER. ENRTE TO ANC, WE HAD OBTAINED ANC METAR FROM JUNEAU RADIO, AND THERE WAS NO MENTION OF TURB, JUST ICING. PRIOR TO DSCNT, ZAN ALSO SAID THEY HAD NO RPTS OF TURB RECENTLY, AND THEY ASKED A FLT CLBING OUT ABOUT THE TURB, AND HE SAID HE HAD NO COMPLAINTS ON THE CLBOUT. ON DSCNT, I TURNED ON THE SEAT BELT SIGN EARLY (26M), AND FO MADE THE ARR ANNOUNCEMENT TO PREPARE CABIN/BE SEATED PRIOR TO 10000 FT, AND CONTINUED TO DSND. AT ABOUT 8000 FT, WE ENTERED A SMALL CUMULUS CLOUD (TOP AT 9000 FT) THAT WAS PAINTING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ON THE RADAR. IMMEDIATELY, WE RECEIVED A JOLT OF MODERATE (HIGH END) TURB, WITH ANOTHER ONE OR TWO SECONDARY MODERATE JOLTS, AND THEN IN THE CLR AGAIN. WE RPTED THIS TO ATC, AND FLT CONTINUED WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHT TURB, AND LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED UNEVENTFULLY. AFTER CLRING THE ACTIVE RWYS, I OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR AND ASKED 'A' FLT ATTENDANT (FORWARD) IF EVERYONE WAS ALL RIGHT. SHE SAID YES, BUT ABOUT 3 MINS AFTER ARR AT GATE, 'B' (MID) FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO SAY THAT SHE AND 'C' (AFT) FLT ATTENDANT HAD BEEN KNOCKED AROUND BY THE TURB. I ASKED HOW BADLY THEY WERE HURT AND IF THEY WANTED PARAMEDICS CALLED, AND SHE SAID SHE WOULD CALL BACK. AFTER ANC PAX HAD DEPLANED, I PROCEEDED TO CABIN AND MET 'B' FLT ATTENDANT, WHO REQUESTED AN ICE PACK. I AGAIN ASKED HER IF SHE WANTED ASSISTANCE OR TO BE REPLACED. SHE DECLINED, AND MEANTIME, THE 'C' FLT ATTENDANT HOBBLED FORWARD AND SAID SHE WANTED TO BE REPLACED, AND APPEARED TO BE IN SOME DISCOMFORT. SHE SAID SHE JUST WANTED TO GO TO A HOTEL AND LAY DOWN. I PROCEEDED TO ANC OPS AND CREW SCHEDULING TO OBTAIN A ROOM FOR 'C' FLT ATTENDANT. UPON RETURNING TO ACFT, 'C' FLT ATTENDANT APPEARED TO BE WORSE AND PARAMEDICS WERE ENRTE. BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS WOUND UP GOING TO LCL HOSPITAL FOR EVALUATION, WITH 'C' FLT ATTENDANT REMAINING THERE FOR 2 NIGHTS. STANDARD PROC FOR ALL FLT ATTENDANTS GOING INTO ANC (AND JNU) SHOULD BE TO HAVE CABIN PICKED UP AND BE SEATED/STRAPPED IN AT 10000 FT, ESPECIALLY IN NON SUMMER MONTHS. ALSO, MORE TIMELY RPTS OF RECENT TURB ARE CRITICAL. APPARENTLY, A FLT THAT ARRIVED LESS THAN 2 HRS BEFORE US HAD ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB (ACCORDING TO GND PEOPLE), BUT THEY EITHER DID NOT RPT IT, OR ATC DID NOT PASS THE RPT ON.

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.