Narrative:

While descending through 15000 ft MSL south of ott on the ott 5 arrival to bwi, we had 2 episodes of what I considered severe turbulence. I was attempting to descend and the turbulence caused us to climb with several hard jolts. I had been on autoplt and disengaged it with the onset of turbulence. The first episode lasted several seconds and, as the descent continued several hundred ft lower, another similar episode. We had been experiencing chop and turbulence throughout the flight and had made several PA's to that effect and had the seatbelt sign illuminated. We were in VMC and had the speed up for spacing (approximately 310 KIAS). At first sign of turbulence, I went idle, speed brake, and slowed to 250 KIAS and advised ATC (washington approach control). I had the first officer check with the flight attendants to make sure the passenger and they (the flight attendants) were ok. It took some time to check (several mins) and they reported all passenger ok, but that an aft flight attendant had hit her head. First officer continued to stay on intercom (while I flew) to check on her status. The word that I was getting was that she was ok. I had first officer ask if she wanted paramedics to meet aircraft. After several mins they responded to the affirmative. When we switched to tower control frequency, we advised them to alert paramedics. The demeanor of lead flight attendant and apparent lack of concern led me to believe that no serious injury had occurred. (In fact, later on 1 flight attendant commented 'we called paramedics just in case the next morning I couldn't get out of bed.') when we got on the ground, the first officer advised operations of the situation and, at the gate, the paramedics were waiting. I never declared an emergency and, therefore, didn't call the dispatcher to advise. I had a tight connection for a commute flight home, so I checked with the lead flight attendant and paramedics and received information that the 'head banger' would be taken to hospital for observation but didn't appear serious. Based on this level of concern, I left for my flight (since passenger were still deplaning and I couldn't get back to talk to her face-to-face). I filed an ASR for the severe turbulence, but failed to make a logbook write-up. The plane was grounded for inspection and fdr pulled. After non revenuing home, I had numerous calls from dispatch, chief pilot, and flight safety. It was then that I found that a second flight attendant had also bumped her head. This emphasizes the importance of accurate communication from the back end. I based all my decisions on the level of concern I was receiving and didn't get a clear picture of what happened. Had I known, I would have accompanied flight attendants to hospital and missed my flight. In my flight experience, this was my first encounter with what I considered severe (because of momentary lack of control) and I completely forgot about the required logbook write-up. Also, from now on (cya) I will always call dispatcher after non normal events.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 PIC RPT ON 2 FLT ATTENDANT INJURIES RECEIVED DURING DSCNT AND HIS FAILURE TO FULLY COMPREHEND HIS RESPONSIBILITIES UPON LNDG AT BWI AFTER SEVERE TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED AT 15000 FT S OF OTT, MD.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING THROUGH 15000 FT MSL S OF OTT ON THE OTT 5 ARR TO BWI, WE HAD 2 EPISODES OF WHAT I CONSIDERED SEVERE TURB. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO DSND AND THE TURB CAUSED US TO CLB WITH SEVERAL HARD JOLTS. I HAD BEEN ON AUTOPLT AND DISENGAGED IT WITH THE ONSET OF TURB. THE FIRST EPISODE LASTED SEVERAL SECONDS AND, AS THE DSCNT CONTINUED SEVERAL HUNDRED FT LOWER, ANOTHER SIMILAR EPISODE. WE HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING CHOP AND TURB THROUGHOUT THE FLT AND HAD MADE SEVERAL PA'S TO THAT EFFECT AND HAD THE SEATBELT SIGN ILLUMINATED. WE WERE IN VMC AND HAD THE SPD UP FOR SPACING (APPROX 310 KIAS). AT FIRST SIGN OF TURB, I WENT IDLE, SPD BRAKE, AND SLOWED TO 250 KIAS AND ADVISED ATC (WASHINGTON APCH CTL). I HAD THE FO CHK WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO MAKE SURE THE PAX AND THEY (THE FLT ATTENDANTS) WERE OK. IT TOOK SOME TIME TO CHK (SEVERAL MINS) AND THEY RPTED ALL PAX OK, BUT THAT AN AFT FLT ATTENDANT HAD HIT HER HEAD. FO CONTINUED TO STAY ON INTERCOM (WHILE I FLEW) TO CHK ON HER STATUS. THE WORD THAT I WAS GETTING WAS THAT SHE WAS OK. I HAD FO ASK IF SHE WANTED PARAMEDICS TO MEET ACFT. AFTER SEVERAL MINS THEY RESPONDED TO THE AFFIRMATIVE. WHEN WE SWITCHED TO TWR CTL FREQ, WE ADVISED THEM TO ALERT PARAMEDICS. THE DEMEANOR OF LEAD FLT ATTENDANT AND APPARENT LACK OF CONCERN LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT NO SERIOUS INJURY HAD OCCURRED. (IN FACT, LATER ON 1 FLT ATTENDANT COMMENTED 'WE CALLED PARAMEDICS JUST IN CASE THE NEXT MORNING I COULDN'T GET OUT OF BED.') WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND, THE FO ADVISED OPS OF THE SIT AND, AT THE GATE, THE PARAMEDICS WERE WAITING. I NEVER DECLARED AN EMER AND, THEREFORE, DIDN'T CALL THE DISPATCHER TO ADVISE. I HAD A TIGHT CONNECTION FOR A COMMUTE FLT HOME, SO I CHKED WITH THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT AND PARAMEDICS AND RECEIVED INFO THAT THE 'HEAD BANGER' WOULD BE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOR OBSERVATION BUT DIDN'T APPEAR SERIOUS. BASED ON THIS LEVEL OF CONCERN, I LEFT FOR MY FLT (SINCE PAX WERE STILL DEPLANING AND I COULDN'T GET BACK TO TALK TO HER FACE-TO-FACE). I FILED AN ASR FOR THE SEVERE TURB, BUT FAILED TO MAKE A LOGBOOK WRITE-UP. THE PLANE WAS GNDED FOR INSPECTION AND FDR PULLED. AFTER NON REVENUING HOME, I HAD NUMEROUS CALLS FROM DISPATCH, CHIEF PLT, AND FLT SAFETY. IT WAS THEN THAT I FOUND THAT A SECOND FLT ATTENDANT HAD ALSO BUMPED HER HEAD. THIS EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCURATE COM FROM THE BACK END. I BASED ALL MY DECISIONS ON THE LEVEL OF CONCERN I WAS RECEIVING AND DIDN'T GET A CLR PICTURE OF WHAT HAPPENED. HAD I KNOWN, I WOULD HAVE ACCOMPANIED FLT ATTENDANTS TO HOSPITAL AND MISSED MY FLT. IN MY FLT EXPERIENCE, THIS WAS MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH WHAT I CONSIDERED SEVERE (BECAUSE OF MOMENTARY LACK OF CTL) AND I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THE REQUIRED LOGBOOK WRITE-UP. ALSO, FROM NOW ON (CYA) I WILL ALWAYS CALL DISPATCHER AFTER NON NORMAL EVENTS.

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.