Narrative:

Encountered moderate turbulence just after traversing a line of thunderstorms east of vuz VOR. The thunderstorms were moving in a line along a cold front from west to east. 4 flight attendants were in the aft galley with 1 cart not secured under the counter which tipped over sideways on flight attendant X, bruising her right ankle, right hip, and the right side of her rib cage. After departing ord on this flight we received an ACARS message from dispatch recommending our routing to the west after passing pxv VOR to go direct to vuz VOR then direct to crg VOR flight planned route. He felt that the convective activity was less along the proposed routing and it would put us well west of the severe WX advisory area. Agreement by subsequent ATC controllers and our evaluation of our WX radar returns convinced us that crossing the line of thunderstorms west of our filed route was the best choice. We considered climbing to FL370 but were too heavy. The tops along this line of thunderstorms were about this height in the moonlight. This line was very narrow with gaps between the cells that were unusually elongated, like cigars. There was quite a bit of lightning glowing at times and running horizontally through the tops. The most intense areas of activity appeared to be well to the east of our track. The further east you looked the more developed the line appeared. As we approached vuz we continued evaluating our WX radar returns and chose a wide gap between cells (approximately 40 NM). We turned approximately 45 degrees to our left, passed between 2 cells in smooth air, then turned 45 degrees to our right returning to a track for crg. At this point we experienced rain followed by a sharp, intense upward draft followed quickly by a sharp downdraft. This is where the moderate turbulence occurred which was no more than 15-20 seconds in duration. This subsided to intermittent light to moderate chop and within a min we were back into smooth air with occasional chop, light. During this entire period there were no radar returns in the 10 NM or 20 NM scales or any indication from ATC to expect rough air. Approximately 15 mins prior to this occurrence, I spoke with the chief purser on the interphone explaining the situation and questioned him about the service situation. They were in the middle of their service. We had been airborne approximately 45 mins with the seat belt sign off at 20 mins into the flight. We decided to continue the service and if any onset of nibbles, bumps, or chop, or light turbulence was felt in the cabin, flight attendants would quickly seat themselves in the nearest passenger seat to them, carts being left in the aisle with brakes set. I turned on the seat belt signs, made a PA announcement requesting any passenger up to return to their seat and for all passenger to check and make sure their seat belts were snugly fastened. As inconvenient as it may appear to customers and is to flight attendants, the only course of action is to require that everything be locked down that moves within a specific time frame. The captain must ensure that this has been accomplished prior to entering an area of possible turbulence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B767 ENCOUNTERS TURB WITH RESULTING CABIN ATTENDANT INJURY.

Narrative: ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB JUST AFTER TRAVERSING A LINE OF TSTMS E OF VUZ VOR. THE TSTMS WERE MOVING IN A LINE ALONG A COLD FRONT FROM W TO E. 4 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE IN THE AFT GALLEY WITH 1 CART NOT SECURED UNDER THE COUNTER WHICH TIPPED OVER SIDEWAYS ON FLT ATTENDANT X, BRUISING HER R ANKLE, R HIP, AND THE R SIDE OF HER RIB CAGE. AFTER DEPARTING ORD ON THIS FLT WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH RECOMMENDING OUR ROUTING TO THE W AFTER PASSING PXV VOR TO GO DIRECT TO VUZ VOR THEN DIRECT TO CRG VOR FLT PLANNED RTE. HE FELT THAT THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WAS LESS ALONG THE PROPOSED ROUTING AND IT WOULD PUT US WELL W OF THE SEVERE WX ADVISORY AREA. AGREEMENT BY SUBSEQUENT ATC CTLRS AND OUR EVALUATION OF OUR WX RADAR RETURNS CONVINCED US THAT XING THE LINE OF TSTMS W OF OUR FILED RTE WAS THE BEST CHOICE. WE CONSIDERED CLBING TO FL370 BUT WERE TOO HVY. THE TOPS ALONG THIS LINE OF TSTMS WERE ABOUT THIS HEIGHT IN THE MOONLIGHT. THIS LINE WAS VERY NARROW WITH GAPS BTWN THE CELLS THAT WERE UNUSUALLY ELONGATED, LIKE CIGARS. THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF LIGHTNING GLOWING AT TIMES AND RUNNING HORIZLY THROUGH THE TOPS. THE MOST INTENSE AREAS OF ACTIVITY APPEARED TO BE WELL TO THE E OF OUR TRACK. THE FURTHER E YOU LOOKED THE MORE DEVELOPED THE LINE APPEARED. AS WE APCHED VUZ WE CONTINUED EVALUATING OUR WX RADAR RETURNS AND CHOSE A WIDE GAP BTWN CELLS (APPROX 40 NM). WE TURNED APPROX 45 DEGS TO OUR L, PASSED BTWN 2 CELLS IN SMOOTH AIR, THEN TURNED 45 DEGS TO OUR R RETURNING TO A TRACK FOR CRG. AT THIS POINT WE EXPERIENCED RAIN FOLLOWED BY A SHARP, INTENSE UPWARD DRAFT FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY A SHARP DOWNDRAFT. THIS IS WHERE THE MODERATE TURB OCCURRED WHICH WAS NO MORE THAN 15-20 SECONDS IN DURATION. THIS SUBSIDED TO INTERMITTENT LIGHT TO MODERATE CHOP AND WITHIN A MIN WE WERE BACK INTO SMOOTH AIR WITH OCCASIONAL CHOP, LIGHT. DURING THIS ENTIRE PERIOD THERE WERE NO RADAR RETURNS IN THE 10 NM OR 20 NM SCALES OR ANY INDICATION FROM ATC TO EXPECT ROUGH AIR. APPROX 15 MINS PRIOR TO THIS OCCURRENCE, I SPOKE WITH THE CHIEF PURSER ON THE INTERPHONE EXPLAINING THE SIT AND QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT THE SVC SIT. THEY WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR SVC. WE HAD BEEN AIRBORNE APPROX 45 MINS WITH THE SEAT BELT SIGN OFF AT 20 MINS INTO THE FLT. WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE SVC AND IF ANY ONSET OF NIBBLES, BUMPS, OR CHOP, OR LIGHT TURB WAS FELT IN THE CABIN, FLT ATTENDANTS WOULD QUICKLY SEAT THEMSELVES IN THE NEAREST PAX SEAT TO THEM, CARTS BEING LEFT IN THE AISLE WITH BRAKES SET. I TURNED ON THE SEAT BELT SIGNS, MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT REQUESTING ANY PAX UP TO RETURN TO THEIR SEAT AND FOR ALL PAX TO CHK AND MAKE SURE THEIR SEAT BELTS WERE SNUGLY FASTENED. AS INCONVENIENT AS IT MAY APPEAR TO CUSTOMERS AND IS TO FLT ATTENDANTS, THE ONLY COURSE OF ACTION IS TO REQUIRE THAT EVERYTHING BE LOCKED DOWN THAT MOVES WITHIN A SPECIFIC TIME FRAME. THE CAPT MUST ENSURE THAT THIS HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED PRIOR TO ENTERING AN AREA OF POSSIBLE TURB.

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.