Narrative:

Aircraft X, a british aerospace jetstream 31, was operating as flight XXX far part 121 scheduled passenger operations iad to jfk. On climb out from iad passing balance at 9000 ft MSL, crew encountered moderate to severe turbulence. Turbulence persisted until about 25 NM southeast of jfk. Forecast called for IMC, rain, light to moderate turbulence with chance of severe turbulence to be expected north of advancing hurricane. Storm cells were easily avoided with in-flight radar, yet there was no relief from turbulence. During the flight, many (over 50%) passenger experienced airsickness. Crew discussed returning to iad due to extreme passenger discomfort, yet elected to continue to jfk as forecast called for improving conditions further north towards jfk and worsening conditions at iad. 20 mins prior to landing, captain experienced airsickness. After vomiting into cockpit map case, the captain cleaned up and an uneventful descent, approach and landing in IMC (200+ ft, 1/2 mi visibility, wind 060 degrees 15 KTS, gusting to 25 KTS) was made by first officer on jfk runway 4R. After landing, captain called company dispatch to be relieved of duties for a few hours to ensure airsickness symptoms had passed. The period of incapacitation was 3-5 mins in level cruise flight. 2 hours after landing at jfk the company suspended flight operations due to violent WX encountered by crews as a result of rapidly advancing hurricane. This crew member feels forecasters were surprised by the hurricane's rapid acceleration up the northeast coast of the united states and therefore severe WX arrived 4-8 hours in advance of original predictions. Crew member also feels dispatchers were understaffed and overwhelmed by storm and were unable to pass critical information to flcs in a timely manner. Not a single message was received by crew from company dispatch on ACARS. This flight probably should have never left iad in the first place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING A BA31 NEAR JFK EXPERIENCES EXTREME WX RESULTING IN THE PIC BECOMING TEMPORARILY INCAPACITATED.

Narrative: ACFT X, A BRITISH AEROSPACE JETSTREAM 31, WAS OPERATING AS FLT XXX FAR PART 121 SCHEDULED PAX OPS IAD TO JFK. ON CLBOUT FROM IAD PASSING BAL AT 9000 FT MSL, CREW ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB. TURB PERSISTED UNTIL ABOUT 25 NM SE OF JFK. FORECAST CALLED FOR IMC, RAIN, LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB WITH CHANCE OF SEVERE TURB TO BE EXPECTED N OF ADVANCING HURRICANE. STORM CELLS WERE EASILY AVOIDED WITH INFLT RADAR, YET THERE WAS NO RELIEF FROM TURB. DURING THE FLT, MANY (OVER 50%) PAX EXPERIENCED AIRSICKNESS. CREW DISCUSSED RETURNING TO IAD DUE TO EXTREME PAX DISCOMFORT, YET ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO JFK AS FORECAST CALLED FOR IMPROVING CONDITIONS FURTHER N TOWARDS JFK AND WORSENING CONDITIONS AT IAD. 20 MINS PRIOR TO LNDG, CAPT EXPERIENCED AIRSICKNESS. AFTER VOMITING INTO COCKPIT MAP CASE, THE CAPT CLEANED UP AND AN UNEVENTFUL DSCNT, APCH AND LNDG IN IMC (200+ FT, 1/2 MI VISIBILITY, WIND 060 DEGS 15 KTS, GUSTING TO 25 KTS) WAS MADE BY FO ON JFK RWY 4R. AFTER LNDG, CAPT CALLED COMPANY DISPATCH TO BE RELIEVED OF DUTIES FOR A FEW HRS TO ENSURE AIRSICKNESS SYMPTOMS HAD PASSED. THE PERIOD OF INCAPACITATION WAS 3-5 MINS IN LEVEL CRUISE FLT. 2 HRS AFTER LNDG AT JFK THE COMPANY SUSPENDED FLT OPS DUE TO VIOLENT WX ENCOUNTERED BY CREWS AS A RESULT OF RAPIDLY ADVANCING HURRICANE. THIS CREW MEMBER FEELS FORECASTERS WERE SURPRISED BY THE HURRICANE'S RAPID ACCELERATION UP THE NE COAST OF THE UNITED STATES AND THEREFORE SEVERE WX ARRIVED 4-8 HRS IN ADVANCE OF ORIGINAL PREDICTIONS. CREW MEMBER ALSO FEELS DISPATCHERS WERE UNDERSTAFFED AND OVERWHELMED BY STORM AND WERE UNABLE TO PASS CRITICAL INFO TO FLCS IN A TIMELY MANNER. NOT A SINGLE MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED BY CREW FROM COMPANY DISPATCH ON ACARS. THIS FLT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT IAD IN THE FIRST PLACE.

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.