Narrative:

After having sat the passenger down and completed the 'approach/descent checklist,' we entered the terminal area. We began scanning the terminal area with the radar, first below, starting with the tilt at 0 degrees and switching between normal and mid-ranges as well as switching between 'precipitation' and 'turbulence' and decreasing the map distance to as low as the 20 mi scale. We then repeated the same procedure for scanning above, going as high as 5 degrees tilt up. After confirming with my first officer that we saw no indications of WX or turbulence, I then switched to the 'terrain' mode on the egpws and first officer switched his radar off. Then while inbound to 'wakem' intersection on the 'wakem two arrival' to cle we were descending to 10000 ft slowing to 280 KTS. Just 4 mi prior to wakem intersection we were given a clearance to turn to a 080 degree heading. Upon turning to a 080 degree heading and at a speed of 280 KTS, we flew through the top of a scattered cloud layer which appeared to be about 2000 ft thick with no vertical development. As we flew into the top of the layer we encountered a jolt of moderate chop. The first officer immediately asked the flight attendants to situation down over the PA. I reported the now continuous moderate chop/turbulence to ATC. Moments later, the first officer was communicating with the first flight attendant to see if everyone was ok. The first flight attendant reported that 1 flight attendant in the rear appeared to be hurt, but that she was back in her jump seat. ATC then cleared us to a 060 degree heading and to descend to 6000 ft. The moderate turbulence continued until breaking out at 6800 ft. Unable to slow and then descend at 250 KTS I decided the safest course of action was to descend with the speed brakes out and thrust at idle and try to slow in the descent. We were at a speed of 238 KTS by the time we broke out at 6800 ft after requesting with ATC to reduce our speed further to 230 KTS, which ATC assigned. Once we were stabilized, I requested an extended downwind to give us enough time to ascertain the condition on my crew and aircraft. I then told my first officer that since we were in the clear now, that it was ok for the first flight attendant to go back and check on the injured crew member. The first flight attendant reported back that the injured flight attendant had sustained an ankle injury. I asked the first officer to request with ATC to have paramedics meet us at the gate upon our arrival. We then informed ATC that we were ready for approach. The approach and landing were uneventful. Prior to our encountering this turbulence, we had no indications that any turbulence existed in the cle area. Our WX bulletin message contained no PIREPS, NOTAMS, or forecasts of strong winds or meteorological conditions that might cause turbulence. Neither center or the final approach controller had any reports of turbulence in the area prior to ours. We did, however, help air carrier X and another air carrier Y flight behind us, which did prepare everyone prior to encountering the same turbulence. ATIS, calm winds, 7 mi visibility, scattered clouds at 6500 ft, temperature/dew point of 12 degrees C.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BOEING 737-300 FLC ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB ON DSCNT, NEAR CLE, DURING WHICH A FLT ATTENDANT WAS INJURED.

Narrative: AFTER HAVING SAT THE PAX DOWN AND COMPLETED THE 'APCH/DSCNT CHKLIST,' WE ENTERED THE TERMINAL AREA. WE BEGAN SCANNING THE TERMINAL AREA WITH THE RADAR, FIRST BELOW, STARTING WITH THE TILT AT 0 DEGS AND SWITCHING BTWN NORMAL AND MID-RANGES AS WELL AS SWITCHING BTWN 'PRECIPITATION' AND 'TURB' AND DECREASING THE MAP DISTANCE TO AS LOW AS THE 20 MI SCALE. WE THEN REPEATED THE SAME PROC FOR SCANNING ABOVE, GOING AS HIGH AS 5 DEGS TILT UP. AFTER CONFIRMING WITH MY FO THAT WE SAW NO INDICATIONS OF WX OR TURB, I THEN SWITCHED TO THE 'TERRAIN' MODE ON THE EGPWS AND FO SWITCHED HIS RADAR OFF. THEN WHILE INBOUND TO 'WAKEM' INTXN ON THE 'WAKEM TWO ARR' TO CLE WE WERE DSNDING TO 10000 FT SLOWING TO 280 KTS. JUST 4 MI PRIOR TO WAKEM INTXN WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO TURN TO A 080 DEG HDG. UPON TURNING TO A 080 DEG HDG AND AT A SPD OF 280 KTS, WE FLEW THROUGH THE TOP OF A SCATTERED CLOUD LAYER WHICH APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 2000 FT THICK WITH NO VERT DEVELOPMENT. AS WE FLEW INTO THE TOP OF THE LAYER WE ENCOUNTERED A JOLT OF MODERATE CHOP. THE FO IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SIT DOWN OVER THE PA. I RPTED THE NOW CONTINUOUS MODERATE CHOP/TURB TO ATC. MOMENTS LATER, THE FO WAS COMMUNICATING WITH THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT TO SEE IF EVERYONE WAS OK. THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT 1 FLT ATTENDANT IN THE REAR APPEARED TO BE HURT, BUT THAT SHE WAS BACK IN HER JUMP SEAT. ATC THEN CLRED US TO A 060 DEG HDG AND TO DSND TO 6000 FT. THE MODERATE TURB CONTINUED UNTIL BREAKING OUT AT 6800 FT. UNABLE TO SLOW AND THEN DSND AT 250 KTS I DECIDED THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO DSND WITH THE SPD BRAKES OUT AND THRUST AT IDLE AND TRY TO SLOW IN THE DSCNT. WE WERE AT A SPD OF 238 KTS BY THE TIME WE BROKE OUT AT 6800 FT AFTER REQUESTING WITH ATC TO REDUCE OUR SPD FURTHER TO 230 KTS, WHICH ATC ASSIGNED. ONCE WE WERE STABILIZED, I REQUESTED AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND TO GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO ASCERTAIN THE CONDITION ON MY CREW AND ACFT. I THEN TOLD MY FO THAT SINCE WE WERE IN THE CLR NOW, THAT IT WAS OK FOR THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT TO GO BACK AND CHK ON THE INJURED CREW MEMBER. THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT RPTED BACK THAT THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT HAD SUSTAINED AN ANKLE INJURY. I ASKED THE FO TO REQUEST WITH ATC TO HAVE PARAMEDICS MEET US AT THE GATE UPON OUR ARR. WE THEN INFORMED ATC THAT WE WERE READY FOR APCH. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. PRIOR TO OUR ENCOUNTERING THIS TURB, WE HAD NO INDICATIONS THAT ANY TURB EXISTED IN THE CLE AREA. OUR WX BULLETIN MESSAGE CONTAINED NO PIREPS, NOTAMS, OR FORECASTS OF STRONG WINDS OR METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS THAT MIGHT CAUSE TURB. NEITHER CTR OR THE FINAL APCH CTLR HAD ANY RPTS OF TURB IN THE AREA PRIOR TO OURS. WE DID, HOWEVER, HELP ACR X AND ANOTHER ACR Y FLT BEHIND US, WHICH DID PREPARE EVERYONE PRIOR TO ENCOUNTERING THE SAME TURB. ATIS, CALM WINDS, 7 MI VISIBILITY, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 6500 FT, TEMP/DEW POINT OF 12 DEGS C.

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.