Narrative:

Flight, sea to las. En route while in smooth air at FL350, we encountered a mountain wave that quickly pushed us up to FL352 then down to FL348 despite our attempts to manually correct the aircraft. Multiple injuries onboard included 1 flight attendant who broke her ankle and had a bad cut on her head. Persons on board who were unseatbelted bounced off the ceiling. Due to injuries we diverted to rno for medical assistance. Normal descent and landing. Supplemental information from acn 395426: although the captain nor I remember using the words 'emergency' in our initial report to ATC we were referred to as 'the emergency inbound for reno' several times by ATC. I would recommend declaring an emergency on the initial contact with ATC when reporting such an incident just so there is no doubt whatsoever. Also we did not have time to get a new dispatch release from the company due to the fact that our priorities were flying the aircraft and safely getting our injured passenger and crew on the ground as soon as possible. We did, however, inform our reno flight operations of our diversion and ETA about 10 mins prior to landing.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-200 DIVERTED TO LAND AFTER CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS INJURIES AFTER ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE TURB DURING CRUISE. CLR AIR TYPE TURB DUE TO MAINTAIN WAVE CONDITION.

Narrative: FLT, SEA TO LAS. ENRTE WHILE IN SMOOTH AIR AT FL350, WE ENCOUNTERED A MOUNTAIN WAVE THAT QUICKLY PUSHED US UP TO FL352 THEN DOWN TO FL348 DESPITE OUR ATTEMPTS TO MANUALLY CORRECT THE ACFT. MULTIPLE INJURIES ONBOARD INCLUDED 1 FLT ATTENDANT WHO BROKE HER ANKLE AND HAD A BAD CUT ON HER HEAD. PERSONS ON BOARD WHO WERE UNSEATBELTED BOUNCED OFF THE CEILING. DUE TO INJURIES WE DIVERTED TO RNO FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. NORMAL DSCNT AND LNDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 395426: ALTHOUGH THE CAPT NOR I REMEMBER USING THE WORDS 'EMER' IN OUR INITIAL RPT TO ATC WE WERE REFERRED TO AS 'THE EMER INBOUND FOR RENO' SEVERAL TIMES BY ATC. I WOULD RECOMMEND DECLARING AN EMER ON THE INITIAL CONTACT WITH ATC WHEN RPTING SUCH AN INCIDENT JUST SO THERE IS NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER. ALSO WE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO GET A NEW DISPATCH RELEASE FROM THE COMPANY DUE TO THE FACT THAT OUR PRIORITIES WERE FLYING THE ACFT AND SAFELY GETTING OUR INJURED PAX AND CREW ON THE GND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE DID, HOWEVER, INFORM OUR RENO FLT OPS OF OUR DIVERSION AND ETA ABOUT 10 MINS PRIOR TO LNDG.

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.