Narrative:

On the evening of apr/mon/00, while piloting an air carrier flight from mco to las, the aircraft encountered two brief but strong jolts of severe turbulence. Three of the flight attendants that were in the aft galley were injured. As the aircraft approached the abilene, tx, area from the east, the captain and I observed a line of cells on the radar. It was a dark night and we were in and out of the clouds. Therefore, could not acquire the storms visually. Both the captain and myself decided that a right deviation would be in order to avoid the cells that were in the present flight path and off to the left. On the right deviation, the radar indicated that the aircraft would clear the line of cells it had indicated earlier. About 200 NM east of abilene, and east of the line of cells the aircraft encountered the first of two strong but brief jolts. The aircraft remained on autoplt without a significant deviation in altitude or attitude. Just prior to the encounter at FL310 we were experiencing smooth air. The captain requested that cabin service be suspended and the carts stowed and the crew seated. Approximately 5-6 mins later the aircraft encountered the severe turbulence. Winds were from the southwest at 140 KTS and shortly thereafter the winds had dropped to 85 KTS. There was neither lightning nor precipitation in the immediate area. After the encounter of severe turbulence we proceeded direct along the previous flight path. After contacting the flight attendant, the captain and I were informed that three of the flight attendants has sustained ankle injuries. Of the three, one was a possible fracture. The seat belt sign was illuminated prior to the occurrence and throughout the whole flight because of reports of light to moderate turbulence along the projected route of flight. Therefore, no passenger were injured. Looking back at the situation the 2 things that could have been different was that the flight attendants could have been more expeditious in stowing the carts and taking their seats therefore, no one would have been injured. Although, knowing when and where the aircraft may encounter turbulence is hard to predict. The other is that the captain and I could have taken a larger deviation to the right. Supplemental information from acn 468423: I checked with the 1ST flight attendant and was advised that the 2ND flight attendant had sustained an ankle injury and was experiencing soreness in his right leg, the 3RD flight attendant sustained an injury to her foot, and the 4TH flight attendant had an ankle injury. The seat belt sign was illuminated, and all of the passenger were seated as they had been instructed to secure their seat belts prior to the encounter. None of the passenger indicated that they had been injured at the time. A PA announcement was made requesting if a doctor was onboard. A medical doctor responded and attended to the crew members' injuries. We also contacted dispatch and medical. On the approach, we were notified by the 1ST flight attendant that a female passenger was now complaining of a neck injury. We relayed this information to the company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ENCOUNTERS TURB CAUSING PAX AND CREW INJURY.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF APR/MON/00, WHILE PILOTING AN ACR FLT FROM MCO TO LAS, THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED TWO BRIEF BUT STRONG JOLTS OF SEVERE TURB. THREE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT WERE IN THE AFT GALLEY WERE INJURED. AS THE ACFT APCHED THE ABILENE, TX, AREA FROM THE E, THE CAPT AND I OBSERVED A LINE OF CELLS ON THE RADAR. IT WAS A DARK NIGHT AND WE WERE IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS. THEREFORE, COULD NOT ACQUIRE THE STORMS VISUALLY. BOTH THE CAPT AND MYSELF DECIDED THAT A R DEV WOULD BE IN ORDER TO AVOID THE CELLS THAT WERE IN THE PRESENT FLT PATH AND OFF TO THE L. ON THE R DEV, THE RADAR INDICATED THAT THE ACFT WOULD CLR THE LINE OF CELLS IT HAD INDICATED EARLIER. ABOUT 200 NM E OF ABILENE, AND E OF THE LINE OF CELLS THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED THE FIRST OF TWO STRONG BUT BRIEF JOLTS. THE ACFT REMAINED ON AUTOPLT WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT DEV IN ALT OR ATTITUDE. JUST PRIOR TO THE ENCOUNTER AT FL310 WE WERE EXPERIENCING SMOOTH AIR. THE CAPT REQUESTED THAT CABIN SVC BE SUSPENDED AND THE CARTS STOWED AND THE CREW SEATED. APPROX 5-6 MINS LATER THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED THE SEVERE TURB. WINDS WERE FROM THE SW AT 140 KTS AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE WINDS HAD DROPPED TO 85 KTS. THERE WAS NEITHER LIGHTNING NOR PRECIPITATION IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. AFTER THE ENCOUNTER OF SEVERE TURB WE PROCEEDED DIRECT ALONG THE PREVIOUS FLT PATH. AFTER CONTACTING THE FLT ATTENDANT, THE CAPT AND I WERE INFORMED THAT THREE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAS SUSTAINED ANKLE INJURIES. OF THE THREE, ONE WAS A POSSIBLE FRACTURE. THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE OCCURRENCE AND THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE FLT BECAUSE OF RPTS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB ALONG THE PROJECTED RTE OF FLT. THEREFORE, NO PAX WERE INJURED. LOOKING BACK AT THE SIT THE 2 THINGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT WAS THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS COULD HAVE BEEN MORE EXPEDITIOUS IN STOWING THE CARTS AND TAKING THEIR SEATS THEREFORE, NO ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN INJURED. ALTHOUGH, KNOWING WHEN AND WHERE THE ACFT MAY ENCOUNTER TURB IS HARD TO PREDICT. THE OTHER IS THAT THE CAPT AND I COULD HAVE TAKEN A LARGER DEV TO THE R. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 468423: I CHKED WITH THE 1ST FLT ATTENDANT AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE 2ND FLT ATTENDANT HAD SUSTAINED AN ANKLE INJURY AND WAS EXPERIENCING SORENESS IN HIS R LEG, THE 3RD FLT ATTENDANT SUSTAINED AN INJURY TO HER FOOT, AND THE 4TH FLT ATTENDANT HAD AN ANKLE INJURY. THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS ILLUMINATED, AND ALL OF THE PAX WERE SEATED AS THEY HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO SECURE THEIR SEAT BELTS PRIOR TO THE ENCOUNTER. NONE OF THE PAX INDICATED THAT THEY HAD BEEN INJURED AT THE TIME. A PA ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE REQUESTING IF A DOCTOR WAS ONBOARD. A MEDICAL DOCTOR RESPONDED AND ATTENDED TO THE CREW MEMBERS' INJURIES. WE ALSO CONTACTED DISPATCH AND MEDICAL. ON THE APCH, WE WERE NOTIFIED BY THE 1ST FLT ATTENDANT THAT A FEMALE PAX WAS NOW COMPLAINING OF A NECK INJURY. WE RELAYED THIS INFO TO THE COMPANY.

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.