Narrative:

While over lake michigan on a flight from sbn to ord, we were on vectors from ZAU and deviating around WX, we had encountered an updraft of approximately 2000 FPM. As the first officer and PF, I quickly disconnected the autoplt and began a reduction in power as well as reduction in pitch to regain our assigned altitude of 12000 ft MSL. In the process of reduction in altitude, we hit an abrupt downdraft of air causing us to lose approximately 300 ft during its 3-5 second occurrence. For the remainder of the flight, the turbulence was basically light chop with occasional moderate chop and light precipitation. During the encounter, both flight attendants were tossed around in the aft galley compartment. #1 flight attendant was on her feet at the time of the occurrence and the other was sitting but allegedly not belted. One passenger (female) was scratched on her face by her glasses and her infant she was holding when we hit the turbulence. Upon arrival at ord, and completion of a postflt inspection, the only noticeable damage was in the interior of the aircraft in the galley area where both flight attendants hit the ceiling, putting a crack in the plastic overhead lining. The aircraft was released to maintenance for further, more detailed inspection. Supplemental information from acn 408992: first officer was PF and disconnected autoplt at 12500 ft and initiated power reduction and pitch over to regain 12000 ft. The vertical shear was violent enough to dislodge my 25 pound flight kit from beside my seat and wedge it into the upper corner of the cockpit behind my seat. Lessons: I will insist flight attendants remain seated in areas of radar returns or suspected turbulence, rather than just warning. Lady injured was hurt when her head hit the wall. The infant was securely held. Supplemental information from acn 410532: flight attendant #2 was still standing on the right side of the jump seat when we hit some turbulence. I looked at her and said, 'oh boy, here we go.' we then hit some more turbulence that felt very strong. It was so strong that the #2 flight attendant went into a squat position bracing her back on the passenger cargo partition wall facing cargo #3. I reacted by grabbing her upper arm to help her brace. I thought I was in a pretty good brace position for myself. The #2 flight attendant reacted the same and grabbed my upper arm almost at the same time. I believe I heard a big noise, like, 'caboom.' we shot straight up, locked arm in arm. I remember my head hitting the top of the aircraft, then I saw blackness. I could feel both of our heads hitting together. The next thing I remember, is seeing us both on the floor, next to each other, lying flat by each other in the aft portion of the aircraft next to the #1 flight attendant jump seat. Squeezed between the passenger cargo wall and the #1 flight attendant jump seat. My first thought was I feel numb. Then I thought if both of the flight attendants are hurt, who is going to take care of the passenger? At that same moment, the #2 flight attendant said, 'get up, we need to go look at the passenger.' I could have laid there forever, but when the #2 flight attendant said, get up, I thought that is right, we have passenger to see about. I remember trying to just get right up, but my legs and body didn't want to move. I then crawled in front of my jump seat and pulled myself up holding on to the jump seat. The #2 flight attendant began to walk through the cabin, asking passenger, 'is everyone ok? Is anyone hurt? Did anyone get thrown?' she then reached our unaccompanied minors, who were screaming, she asked the same questions to the unaccompanied minors. The flight deck then signaled by phone. I went to the aft area to answer the call. The captain said, 'how is everything? Is anyone hurt?' I told him that both myself and the #2 flight attendant flew to the top of the aircraft and slammed on the floor. I told him that the #2 flight attendant is still checking on passenger to make sure that no one else is injured. He then told me that he was going to order an ambulance to meet the aircraft in chicago and to try and hang in there, we'll be there soon. I thought before we hit more turbulence, I need to secure the galley area by picking up allthe items so they don't go flying through the cabin area. I remember being in the lavatory picking up plastic cups and I started to feel a lot of pain and my eyesight was blurred. I placed items from the floor back into the galley area. The #2 flight attendant was looking in the first aid kit when she turned to me and said, 'you don't look good at all.' she said, 'why don't you take my jump seat and I'll take over position #1.' the #2 flight attendant then began to make a PA to tell the passenger 'be sure your seat belts are fastened.' she also stated that the captain had called for an ambulance to meet the aircraft in chicago, that she wanted the passenger who was bleeding, the infants and our flight attendant to be escorted out first, then everyone else who wanted to go and be checked, please do so. The #2 flight attendant then said that our first officer will come through the cabin once we arrive in chicago to open the door and help off the injured. My neck and back pain was too bad for me to reach the phone. We began to land in chicago. The aircraft hit some more turbulence and that's when I felt light headed and tingling in my legs and arms. I got very hot and I knew I was about to pass out. Once we landed safely in chicago, the first officer came out through the cabin and opened the aircraft door. I remember the captain and paramedic asking me if I could walk off the aircraft or did I need a stretcher. I tried walking. The paramedics then asked me to lie flat on a board. They taped my head down and placed me into the ambulance. Supplemental information from acn 409168: the first officer went to check on the former #1 flight attendant, medical came on board and told me to go to the ambulance. I didn't want to. I wanted to be sure my former #1 flight attendant, injured passenger and unaccompanied minors were ok first. They told me I could have a cracked vertebra. I reluctantly got off the aircraft. I have often wondered how I would act in an emergency. Will I be calm? Will I think clearly? Well now looking back, I think I did ok. No, better than ok. I did what I had been trained todo. I stayed calm. I never felt fear. I felt confident of the two, and I might add best, pilots in the cockpit. In fact, our injured passenger said, #1 flight attendant and I had done a great job. We calmed everyone and all the passenger appreciated our professional behavior. We were later informed by the pilots that we had hit vertical windshear. The aircraft had dropped 300 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ATR72-212A OVER LAKE MICHIGAN ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURB INJURING BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS AND SOME PAX. AMBULANCES MEET THE ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE OVER LAKE MICHIGAN ON A FLT FROM SBN TO ORD, WE WERE ON VECTORS FROM ZAU AND DEVIATING AROUND WX, WE HAD ENCOUNTERED AN UPDRAFT OF APPROX 2000 FPM. AS THE FO AND PF, I QUICKLY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND BEGAN A REDUCTION IN PWR AS WELL AS REDUCTION IN PITCH TO REGAIN OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 12000 FT MSL. IN THE PROCESS OF REDUCTION IN ALT, WE HIT AN ABRUPT DOWNDRAFT OF AIR CAUSING US TO LOSE APPROX 300 FT DURING ITS 3-5 SECOND OCCURRENCE. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT, THE TURB WAS BASICALLY LIGHT CHOP WITH OCCASIONAL MODERATE CHOP AND LIGHT PRECIPITATION. DURING THE ENCOUNTER, BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS WERE TOSSED AROUND IN THE AFT GALLEY COMPARTMENT. #1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS ON HER FEET AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE AND THE OTHER WAS SITTING BUT ALLEGEDLY NOT BELTED. ONE PAX (FEMALE) WAS SCRATCHED ON HER FACE BY HER GLASSES AND HER INFANT SHE WAS HOLDING WHEN WE HIT THE TURB. UPON ARR AT ORD, AND COMPLETION OF A POSTFLT INSPECTION, THE ONLY NOTICEABLE DAMAGE WAS IN THE INTERIOR OF THE ACFT IN THE GALLEY AREA WHERE BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS HIT THE CEILING, PUTTING A CRACK IN THE PLASTIC OVERHEAD LINING. THE ACFT WAS RELEASED TO MAINT FOR FURTHER, MORE DETAILED INSPECTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 408992: FO WAS PF AND DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AT 12500 FT AND INITIATED PWR REDUCTION AND PITCH OVER TO REGAIN 12000 FT. THE VERT SHEAR WAS VIOLENT ENOUGH TO DISLODGE MY 25 LB FLT KIT FROM BESIDE MY SEAT AND WEDGE IT INTO THE UPPER CORNER OF THE COCKPIT BEHIND MY SEAT. LESSONS: I WILL INSIST FLT ATTENDANTS REMAIN SEATED IN AREAS OF RADAR RETURNS OR SUSPECTED TURB, RATHER THAN JUST WARNING. LADY INJURED WAS HURT WHEN HER HEAD HIT THE WALL. THE INFANT WAS SECURELY HELD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 410532: FLT ATTENDANT #2 WAS STILL STANDING ON THE R SIDE OF THE JUMP SEAT WHEN WE HIT SOME TURB. I LOOKED AT HER AND SAID, 'OH BOY, HERE WE GO.' WE THEN HIT SOME MORE TURB THAT FELT VERY STRONG. IT WAS SO STRONG THAT THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT WENT INTO A SQUAT POS BRACING HER BACK ON THE PAX CARGO PARTITION WALL FACING CARGO #3. I REACTED BY GRABBING HER UPPER ARM TO HELP HER BRACE. I THOUGHT I WAS IN A PRETTY GOOD BRACE POS FOR MYSELF. THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT REACTED THE SAME AND GRABBED MY UPPER ARM ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME. I BELIEVE I HEARD A BIG NOISE, LIKE, 'CABOOM.' WE SHOT STRAIGHT UP, LOCKED ARM IN ARM. I REMEMBER MY HEAD HITTING THE TOP OF THE ACFT, THEN I SAW BLACKNESS. I COULD FEEL BOTH OF OUR HEADS HITTING TOGETHER. THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER, IS SEEING US BOTH ON THE FLOOR, NEXT TO EACH OTHER, LYING FLAT BY EACH OTHER IN THE AFT PORTION OF THE ACFT NEXT TO THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT JUMP SEAT. SQUEEZED BTWN THE PAX CARGO WALL AND THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT JUMP SEAT. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS I FEEL NUMB. THEN I THOUGHT IF BOTH OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS ARE HURT, WHO IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THE PAX? AT THAT SAME MOMENT, THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT SAID, 'GET UP, WE NEED TO GO LOOK AT THE PAX.' I COULD HAVE LAID THERE FOREVER, BUT WHEN THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT SAID, GET UP, I THOUGHT THAT IS RIGHT, WE HAVE PAX TO SEE ABOUT. I REMEMBER TRYING TO JUST GET RIGHT UP, BUT MY LEGS AND BODY DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE. I THEN CRAWLED IN FRONT OF MY JUMP SEAT AND PULLED MYSELF UP HOLDING ON TO THE JUMP SEAT. THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT BEGAN TO WALK THROUGH THE CABIN, ASKING PAX, 'IS EVERYONE OK? IS ANYONE HURT? DID ANYONE GET THROWN?' SHE THEN REACHED OUR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS, WHO WERE SCREAMING, SHE ASKED THE SAME QUESTIONS TO THE UNACCOMPANIED MINORS. THE FLT DECK THEN SIGNALED BY PHONE. I WENT TO THE AFT AREA TO ANSWER THE CALL. THE CAPT SAID, 'HOW IS EVERYTHING? IS ANYONE HURT?' I TOLD HIM THAT BOTH MYSELF AND THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT FLEW TO THE TOP OF THE ACFT AND SLAMMED ON THE FLOOR. I TOLD HIM THAT THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT IS STILL CHKING ON PAX TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE ELSE IS INJURED. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT HE WAS GOING TO ORDER AN AMBULANCE TO MEET THE ACFT IN CHICAGO AND TO TRY AND HANG IN THERE, WE'LL BE THERE SOON. I THOUGHT BEFORE WE HIT MORE TURB, I NEED TO SECURE THE GALLEY AREA BY PICKING UP ALLTHE ITEMS SO THEY DON'T GO FLYING THROUGH THE CABIN AREA. I REMEMBER BEING IN THE LAVATORY PICKING UP PLASTIC CUPS AND I STARTED TO FEEL A LOT OF PAIN AND MY EYESIGHT WAS BLURRED. I PLACED ITEMS FROM THE FLOOR BACK INTO THE GALLEY AREA. THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT WAS LOOKING IN THE FIRST AID KIT WHEN SHE TURNED TO ME AND SAID, 'YOU DON'T LOOK GOOD AT ALL.' SHE SAID, 'WHY DON'T YOU TAKE MY JUMP SEAT AND I'LL TAKE OVER POS #1.' THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT THEN BEGAN TO MAKE A PA TO TELL THE PAX 'BE SURE YOUR SEAT BELTS ARE FASTENED.' SHE ALSO STATED THAT THE CAPT HAD CALLED FOR AN AMBULANCE TO MEET THE ACFT IN CHICAGO, THAT SHE WANTED THE PAX WHO WAS BLEEDING, THE INFANTS AND OUR FLT ATTENDANT TO BE ESCORTED OUT FIRST, THEN EVERYONE ELSE WHO WANTED TO GO AND BE CHKED, PLEASE DO SO. THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT THEN SAID THAT OUR FO WILL COME THROUGH THE CABIN ONCE WE ARRIVE IN CHICAGO TO OPEN THE DOOR AND HELP OFF THE INJURED. MY NECK AND BACK PAIN WAS TOO BAD FOR ME TO REACH THE PHONE. WE BEGAN TO LAND IN CHICAGO. THE ACFT HIT SOME MORE TURB AND THAT'S WHEN I FELT LIGHT HEADED AND TINGLING IN MY LEGS AND ARMS. I GOT VERY HOT AND I KNEW I WAS ABOUT TO PASS OUT. ONCE WE LANDED SAFELY IN CHICAGO, THE FO CAME OUT THROUGH THE CABIN AND OPENED THE ACFT DOOR. I REMEMBER THE CAPT AND PARAMEDIC ASKING ME IF I COULD WALK OFF THE ACFT OR DID I NEED A STRETCHER. I TRIED WALKING. THE PARAMEDICS THEN ASKED ME TO LIE FLAT ON A BOARD. THEY TAPED MY HEAD DOWN AND PLACED ME INTO THE AMBULANCE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 409168: THE FO WENT TO CHK ON THE FORMER #1 FLT ATTENDANT, MEDICAL CAME ON BOARD AND TOLD ME TO GO TO THE AMBULANCE. I DIDN'T WANT TO. I WANTED TO BE SURE MY FORMER #1 FLT ATTENDANT, INJURED PAX AND UNACCOMPANIED MINORS WERE OK FIRST. THEY TOLD ME I COULD HAVE A CRACKED VERTEBRA. I RELUCTANTLY GOT OFF THE ACFT. I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED HOW I WOULD ACT IN AN EMER. WILL I BE CALM? WILL I THINK CLRLY? WELL NOW LOOKING BACK, I THINK I DID OK. NO, BETTER THAN OK. I DID WHAT I HAD BEEN TRAINED TODO. I STAYED CALM. I NEVER FELT FEAR. I FELT CONFIDENT OF THE TWO, AND I MIGHT ADD BEST, PLTS IN THE COCKPIT. IN FACT, OUR INJURED PAX SAID, #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND I HAD DONE A GREAT JOB. WE CALMED EVERYONE AND ALL THE PAX APPRECIATED OUR PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR. WE WERE LATER INFORMED BY THE PLTS THAT WE HAD HIT VERT WINDSHEAR. THE ACFT HAD DROPPED 300 FT.

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.