Narrative:

About 1 hour into our flight to phx, we encountered a cumulus cloud ahead in our flight path. The location was around tlh. We could see the build-up visually, however, nothing was painting on the WX radar. We decided to go around the build-up and chose to deviate to the right, which was the upwind side. There was another airliner operating ahead of us on the same flight path who reported no problems. While deviating right of course, we encountered severe turbulence -- somewhere from 5-15 seconds in duration. Significant gains and losses in airspeed and about a 400 ft gain in altitude. The seatbelt sign was on during the entire event. I reported the severe turbulence and called the flight attendant to assess any damage and/or injuries. As some injuries were being discovered, it was reported to us by the flight attendants that one of the in-flight entertainment screens had shorted out, sparked, and was smoldering. We then called company and the flight attendants and coordinated a diversion to atlanta. There we declared an emergency and made an uneventful overweight landing. The aircraft had some interior damage caused mostly by dislodged items, including a beverage cart. No exterior/structural damage was found. Supplemental information from acn 479345: flight in front of us reported a large build-up to its left. They did not report any turbulence, however, they were at FL370. We were too heavy to consider climbing at that time. As we approached the storm, we comprehended how large it was. The captain told the first flight attendant the ride may get bumpy and turned the seatbelt sign on. We hit severe turbulence as we passed abeam the thunderhead about 30 NM southwest of tlh. First the autoplt clicked off when the aircraft hit overspd then almost instantly full power was automatically applied as the aircraft went into alpha-protection (an airbus feature designed to protect from a stall) near stall speed. I was the PF. For about 5-10 seconds, I simply tried to keep wings level and airspeed safe. I believe we gained about 500 ft. When the 'ride' was over, we reset the autoplt and looked around. The flight deck floor was scattered with every manual, chart and headset from the aircraft library bins. We realized we probably had injuries. We reported the severe turbulence to ATC. Soon after the first flight attendant, with her left leg bleeding, came up front to inform us we had injured passenger and the third flight attendant. We coordinated with company dispatch and ATC our desire to divert to atl. First flight attendant came up front again to inform us that one of the passenger entertainment video screens appeared to be smoking. Decision was made to declare emergency and have equipment not only stand by but follow us to the gate. Landed without further problems. I have learned that even though we think we know mother nature, we do not. No reports of turbulence because it was early morning and aside from other air carrier (who I must assume encountered smooth air) nobody had been on this route yet. We passed well clear of the storm on the upwind side, just like we were taught, and still hit rough air. Lastly, just because our release had no indication of turbulence en route, that was no reason to assume we would not encounter any.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TURB ENCOUNTER NEAR TLH. CREW AND PAX INJURY.

Narrative: ABOUT 1 HR INTO OUR FLT TO PHX, WE ENCOUNTERED A CUMULUS CLOUD AHEAD IN OUR FLT PATH. THE LOCATION WAS AROUND TLH. WE COULD SEE THE BUILD-UP VISUALLY, HOWEVER, NOTHING WAS PAINTING ON THE WX RADAR. WE DECIDED TO GO AROUND THE BUILD-UP AND CHOSE TO DEVIATE TO THE R, WHICH WAS THE UPWIND SIDE. THERE WAS ANOTHER AIRLINER OPERATING AHEAD OF US ON THE SAME FLT PATH WHO RPTED NO PROBS. WHILE DEVIATING R OF COURSE, WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB -- SOMEWHERE FROM 5-15 SECONDS IN DURATION. SIGNIFICANT GAINS AND LOSSES IN AIRSPD AND ABOUT A 400 FT GAIN IN ALT. THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS ON DURING THE ENTIRE EVENT. I RPTED THE SEVERE TURB AND CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO ASSESS ANY DAMAGE AND/OR INJURIES. AS SOME INJURIES WERE BEING DISCOVERED, IT WAS RPTED TO US BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT ONE OF THE INFLT ENTERTAINMENT SCREENS HAD SHORTED OUT, SPARKED, AND WAS SMOLDERING. WE THEN CALLED COMPANY AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND COORDINATED A DIVERSION TO ATLANTA. THERE WE DECLARED AN EMER AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL OVERWT LNDG. THE ACFT HAD SOME INTERIOR DAMAGE CAUSED MOSTLY BY DISLODGED ITEMS, INCLUDING A BEVERAGE CART. NO EXTERIOR/STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS FOUND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 479345: FLT IN FRONT OF US RPTED A LARGE BUILD-UP TO ITS L. THEY DID NOT RPT ANY TURB, HOWEVER, THEY WERE AT FL370. WE WERE TOO HVY TO CONSIDER CLBING AT THAT TIME. AS WE APCHED THE STORM, WE COMPREHENDED HOW LARGE IT WAS. THE CAPT TOLD THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT THE RIDE MAY GET BUMPY AND TURNED THE SEATBELT SIGN ON. WE HIT SEVERE TURB AS WE PASSED ABEAM THE THUNDERHEAD ABOUT 30 NM SW OF TLH. FIRST THE AUTOPLT CLICKED OFF WHEN THE ACFT HIT OVERSPD THEN ALMOST INSTANTLY FULL PWR WAS AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED AS THE ACFT WENT INTO ALPHA-PROTECTION (AN AIRBUS FEATURE DESIGNED TO PROTECT FROM A STALL) NEAR STALL SPD. I WAS THE PF. FOR ABOUT 5-10 SECONDS, I SIMPLY TRIED TO KEEP WINGS LEVEL AND AIRSPD SAFE. I BELIEVE WE GAINED ABOUT 500 FT. WHEN THE 'RIDE' WAS OVER, WE RESET THE AUTOPLT AND LOOKED AROUND. THE FLT DECK FLOOR WAS SCATTERED WITH EVERY MANUAL, CHART AND HEADSET FROM THE ACFT LIBRARY BINS. WE REALIZED WE PROBABLY HAD INJURIES. WE RPTED THE SEVERE TURB TO ATC. SOON AFTER THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT, WITH HER L LEG BLEEDING, CAME UP FRONT TO INFORM US WE HAD INJURED PAX AND THE THIRD FLT ATTENDANT. WE COORDINATED WITH COMPANY DISPATCH AND ATC OUR DESIRE TO DIVERT TO ATL. FIRST FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP FRONT AGAIN TO INFORM US THAT ONE OF THE PAX ENTERTAINMENT VIDEO SCREENS APPEARED TO BE SMOKING. DECISION WAS MADE TO DECLARE EMER AND HAVE EQUIP NOT ONLY STAND BY BUT FOLLOW US TO THE GATE. LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. I HAVE LEARNED THAT EVEN THOUGH WE THINK WE KNOW MOTHER NATURE, WE DO NOT. NO RPTS OF TURB BECAUSE IT WAS EARLY MORNING AND ASIDE FROM OTHER ACR (WHO I MUST ASSUME ENCOUNTERED SMOOTH AIR) NOBODY HAD BEEN ON THIS RTE YET. WE PASSED WELL CLR OF THE STORM ON THE UPWIND SIDE, JUST LIKE WE WERE TAUGHT, AND STILL HIT ROUGH AIR. LASTLY, JUST BECAUSE OUR RELEASE HAD NO INDICATION OF TURB ENRTE, THAT WAS NO REASON TO ASSUME WE WOULD NOT ENCOUNTER ANY.

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.