Narrative:

I was the captain on flight to atl on the afternoon of sep/xa/00. We started getting moderate turbulence at FL350 abeam philadelphia and continued off and on until our descent into atl. We experienced light chop for periods of 5-10 mi followed by periods of moderate turbulence for 1-2 mins. We changed altitudes 3 times and finally settled on FL260 as the best ride. I had made a PA announcement and turned on the seatbelt sign when we first encountered the rough air and I had briefed the flight attendant to stay seated. During one of the periods of light chop, the flight attendant got up and started cleaning the cabin without checking with either the first officer or myself. It was at this time we hit the worst of the turbulence. The flight attendant was injured and required hospitalization on our arrival at atl. We did not land at avl because the first officer determined that the injuries were not life threatening and the flight attendant requested that we continue to atl for the convenience of the passenger. The injuries to the flight attendant consisted of a bump on the head and a broken ankle. She had only been with the company a few months and wanted to do a good job. However, she forgot one of the most important rules of CRM -- communication. Supplemental information from acn 486319: the captain made 4 different announcements to the cabin of the turbulence and reassured we were talking with center about avoidance tactics. We were notified by a frantic passenger that our flight attendant was passed out and badly injured. When we were notified, the captain took over the aircraft and I went back to assess the situation with the flight attendant. The flight attendant was in the second to last row laying down. She told me that she thought she broke both her ankles. A passenger lifted her onto the seats and we placed her legs on a carry-on. I asked her if she wanted us to make an emergency landing and she informed me that she wanted to go on to atl, our destination. As a previous flight attendant, I secured the cabin for landing. Upon landing, the atl airport EMS met the aircraft and carried her off and the captain then filled out a company incident report. The flight attendant said the reason she was out of her seat was to collect garbage. She was never informed by the captain or myself that it was safe to get our of her jump seat.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65 FLT ATTENDANT IS INJURED WHEN ATTEMPTING CABIN DUTIES DURING PERIODS OF TURB AFTER BEING SEATED BY THE CAPT'S PA ANNOUNCEMENT N OF ODF, GA.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON FLT TO ATL ON THE AFTERNOON OF SEP/XA/00. WE STARTED GETTING MODERATE TURB AT FL350 ABEAM PHILADELPHIA AND CONTINUED OFF AND ON UNTIL OUR DSCNT INTO ATL. WE EXPERIENCED LIGHT CHOP FOR PERIODS OF 5-10 MI FOLLOWED BY PERIODS OF MODERATE TURB FOR 1-2 MINS. WE CHANGED ALTS 3 TIMES AND FINALLY SETTLED ON FL260 AS THE BEST RIDE. I HAD MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT AND TURNED ON THE SEATBELT SIGN WHEN WE FIRST ENCOUNTERED THE ROUGH AIR AND I HAD BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO STAY SEATED. DURING ONE OF THE PERIODS OF LIGHT CHOP, THE FLT ATTENDANT GOT UP AND STARTED CLEANING THE CABIN WITHOUT CHKING WITH EITHER THE FO OR MYSELF. IT WAS AT THIS TIME WE HIT THE WORST OF THE TURB. THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS INJURED AND REQUIRED HOSPITALIZATION ON OUR ARR AT ATL. WE DID NOT LAND AT AVL BECAUSE THE FO DETERMINED THAT THE INJURIES WERE NOT LIFE THREATENING AND THE FLT ATTENDANT REQUESTED THAT WE CONTINUE TO ATL FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF THE PAX. THE INJURIES TO THE FLT ATTENDANT CONSISTED OF A BUMP ON THE HEAD AND A BROKEN ANKLE. SHE HAD ONLY BEEN WITH THE COMPANY A FEW MONTHS AND WANTED TO DO A GOOD JOB. HOWEVER, SHE FORGOT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RULES OF CRM -- COM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 486319: THE CAPT MADE 4 DIFFERENT ANNOUNCEMENTS TO THE CABIN OF THE TURB AND REASSURED WE WERE TALKING WITH CTR ABOUT AVOIDANCE TACTICS. WE WERE NOTIFIED BY A FRANTIC PAX THAT OUR FLT ATTENDANT WAS PASSED OUT AND BADLY INJURED. WHEN WE WERE NOTIFIED, THE CAPT TOOK OVER THE ACFT AND I WENT BACK TO ASSESS THE SIT WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT. THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS IN THE SECOND TO LAST ROW LAYING DOWN. SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE THOUGHT SHE BROKE BOTH HER ANKLES. A PAX LIFTED HER ONTO THE SEATS AND WE PLACED HER LEGS ON A CARRY-ON. I ASKED HER IF SHE WANTED US TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG AND SHE INFORMED ME THAT SHE WANTED TO GO ON TO ATL, OUR DEST. AS A PREVIOUS FLT ATTENDANT, I SECURED THE CABIN FOR LNDG. UPON LNDG, THE ATL ARPT EMS MET THE ACFT AND CARRIED HER OFF AND THE CAPT THEN FILLED OUT A COMPANY INCIDENT RPT. THE FLT ATTENDANT SAID THE REASON SHE WAS OUT OF HER SEAT WAS TO COLLECT GARBAGE. SHE WAS NEVER INFORMED BY THE CAPT OR MYSELF THAT IT WAS SAFE TO GET OUR OF HER JUMP SEAT.

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.