Narrative:

In flight cruise from lax-sfo. Flight level at FL240 approximately 310 KIAS. We were restr to FL240 due to single pack operation. Takeoff and climb to altitude were normal. I had just turned off the fasten seatbelt sign and made an announcement. When in the vicinity of rzs, with the autoplt on, we started to encounter a light buffet. The aircraft nose then pitched up slightly and rolled to the left and then pitched down. The captain (PF) immediately disengaged the autoplt, rolled wings level, and started a gradual climb back to altitude. It felt as if we rolled about 45 degrees and we lost 200-300 ft of altitude. Once the aircraft was back in stable flight, the captain asked ATC who was ahead of us and how were the rides? ATC said there was a heavy MD11 about 10 mi ahead who had climbed up through our altitude. At this point we called back to the flight attendants. The chief flight attendant said the other 2 flight attendants were hurt, and there were multiple injuries to passenger. We got as much information from the flight attendant as possible and declared ourselves a lifeguard/emergency aircraft with ATC. At this point we were about 1/2 way to sfo and with the concurrence of 2 doctors on board, who were assisting, we decided to continue on to sfo. The descent and landing were uneventful. We went to the gate where the aircraft was met by paramedics and airport officials. Performance considerations: due to the fact that 2 out of the 3 flight attendants were hurt, it was hard to get timely complete information in the flight station as to what was happening in the back. This slowed up the decision making progress.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TWIN ENG ACR IS SUBJECTED TO THE WAKE TURB OF A PRECEDING, CLBING MD11, 10 MI AHEAD. NO ATC ADVISORY, 2 FLT ATTENDANTS AND SOME PAX INJURED ENRTE TO SFO, CA.

Narrative: IN FLT CRUISE FROM LAX-SFO. FLT LEVEL AT FL240 APPROX 310 KIAS. WE WERE RESTR TO FL240 DUE TO SINGLE PACK OP. TKOF AND CLB TO ALT WERE NORMAL. I HAD JUST TURNED OFF THE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN AND MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT. WHEN IN THE VICINITY OF RZS, WITH THE AUTOPLT ON, WE STARTED TO ENCOUNTER A LIGHT BUFFET. THE ACFT NOSE THEN PITCHED UP SLIGHTLY AND ROLLED TO THE L AND THEN PITCHED DOWN. THE CAPT (PF) IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT, ROLLED WINGS LEVEL, AND STARTED A GRADUAL CLB BACK TO ALT. IT FELT AS IF WE ROLLED ABOUT 45 DEGS AND WE LOST 200-300 FT OF ALT. ONCE THE ACFT WAS BACK IN STABLE FLT, THE CAPT ASKED ATC WHO WAS AHEAD OF US AND HOW WERE THE RIDES? ATC SAID THERE WAS A HVY MD11 ABOUT 10 MI AHEAD WHO HAD CLBED UP THROUGH OUR ALT. AT THIS POINT WE CALLED BACK TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THE CHIEF FLT ATTENDANT SAID THE OTHER 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE HURT, AND THERE WERE MULTIPLE INJURIES TO PAX. WE GOT AS MUCH INFO FROM THE FLT ATTENDANT AS POSSIBLE AND DECLARED OURSELVES A LIFEGUARD/EMER ACFT WITH ATC. AT THIS POINT WE WERE ABOUT 1/2 WAY TO SFO AND WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF 2 DOCTORS ON BOARD, WHO WERE ASSISTING, WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO SFO. THE DSCNT AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. WE WENT TO THE GATE WHERE THE ACFT WAS MET BY PARAMEDICS AND ARPT OFFICIALS. PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: DUE TO THE FACT THAT 2 OUT OF THE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE HURT, IT WAS HARD TO GET TIMELY COMPLETE INFO IN THE FLT STATION AS TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE BACK. THIS SLOWED UP THE DECISION MAKING PROGRESS.

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.