Turbulence encounter with passenger and crew injury followed by divert.

Attributes
ACN	483368
Time
Date	200008
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : kelpp
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	arrival : profile descent enroute airway : a766.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	483368
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	484347
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude cabin event other inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : turbulence other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Encounter with moderate to severe turbulence. The captain was flying the aircraft at FL370 at .800 mach using the autoplt. The captain had the fasten seatbelt sign on and made a PA. We were filed along A766 from klams to kehli intxns, and in the vicinity of kelpp intersection we had asked for an easterly (left) deviation for WX from houston oceanic, which they allowed us. We chose that direction to stay on the upwind side of the WX. Both the captain and I had the WX radar on. My radar panel was selected to the 40 mi range with WX/turbulence mode and maximum gain selected. Periodically, I would vary range and tilt to get the best returns from the approaching WX. In the area of where the WX was, the radar returns were mostly green and some areas of yellow. Our flight path was planned to keep us clear of these areas. While making our deviation, we entered into a stratus layer, now relying solely on the radar for WX avoidance. As we passed by an area of WX, we popped out of the stratus layer and in front of us was a rapidly building cumulus cloud. The captain took corrective action to avoid the build-up by using 25 degrees right bank selected with the autoplt. However, we still entered the cloud formation. There was an onset of moderate turbulence and the aircraft began to climb because of the strong updraft. After the aircraft began a climb, there was a sharp drop, which I would classify as severe turbulence. Lasting only momentarily. This drop caused the autoplt to trip off. The captain continued to hand fly the aircraft out of the area. ATC advised us of our altitude deviation and we then informed them of the encounter with severe turbulence. They acknowledged our report. The flight attendants reported 1 injured flight attendant and also injured passenger. The captain immediately declared a medical emergency and decided to land at the nearest suitable airport (iah). We next informed dispatch of our situation and diversion airport. Then called iah, asked for medical assistance and gate for off-loading injured flight attendant and injured passenger. We were given priority for runway 33R at iah, landed and taxied to gate X where we were met with medical assistance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TURB ENCOUNTER WITH PAX AND CREW INJURY FOLLOWED BY DIVERT.

Narrative: ENCOUNTER WITH MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB. THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT AT FL370 AT .800 MACH USING THE AUTOPLT. THE CAPT HAD THE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN ON AND MADE A PA. WE WERE FILED ALONG A766 FROM KLAMS TO KEHLI INTXNS, AND IN THE VICINITY OF KELPP INTXN WE HAD ASKED FOR AN EASTERLY (L) DEV FOR WX FROM HOUSTON OCEANIC, WHICH THEY ALLOWED US. WE CHOSE THAT DIRECTION TO STAY ON THE UPWIND SIDE OF THE WX. BOTH THE CAPT AND I HAD THE WX RADAR ON. MY RADAR PANEL WAS SELECTED TO THE 40 MI RANGE WITH WX/TURB MODE AND MAX GAIN SELECTED. PERIODICALLY, I WOULD VARY RANGE AND TILT TO GET THE BEST RETURNS FROM THE APCHING WX. IN THE AREA OF WHERE THE WX WAS, THE RADAR RETURNS WERE MOSTLY GREEN AND SOME AREAS OF YELLOW. OUR FLT PATH WAS PLANNED TO KEEP US CLR OF THESE AREAS. WHILE MAKING OUR DEV, WE ENTERED INTO A STRATUS LAYER, NOW RELYING SOLELY ON THE RADAR FOR WX AVOIDANCE. AS WE PASSED BY AN AREA OF WX, WE POPPED OUT OF THE STRATUS LAYER AND IN FRONT OF US WAS A RAPIDLY BUILDING CUMULUS CLOUD. THE CAPT TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTION TO AVOID THE BUILD-UP BY USING 25 DEGS R BANK SELECTED WITH THE AUTOPLT. HOWEVER, WE STILL ENTERED THE CLOUD FORMATION. THERE WAS AN ONSET OF MODERATE TURB AND THE ACFT BEGAN TO CLB BECAUSE OF THE STRONG UPDRAFT. AFTER THE ACFT BEGAN A CLB, THERE WAS A SHARP DROP, WHICH I WOULD CLASSIFY AS SEVERE TURB. LASTING ONLY MOMENTARILY. THIS DROP CAUSED THE AUTOPLT TO TRIP OFF. THE CAPT CONTINUED TO HAND FLY THE ACFT OUT OF THE AREA. ATC ADVISED US OF OUR ALTDEV AND WE THEN INFORMED THEM OF THE ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE TURB. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED OUR RPT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED 1 INJURED FLT ATTENDANT AND ALSO INJURED PAX. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER AND DECIDED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT (IAH). WE NEXT INFORMED DISPATCH OF OUR SIT AND DIVERSION ARPT. THEN CALLED IAH, ASKED FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND GATE FOR OFF-LOADING INJURED FLT ATTENDANT AND INJURED PAX. WE WERE GIVEN PRIORITY FOR RWY 33R AT IAH, LANDED AND TAXIED TO GATE X WHERE WE WERE MET WITH MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.

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.