 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
B767ER flight crew encounters severe turbulence at FL370.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 552518 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200207 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zme.artcc |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl single value : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Turbulence |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zme.artcc tower : hnl.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767-300 and 300 ER |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 552518 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1800 |
| ASRS Report | 552517 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude cabin event : passenger illness inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
On course toward memphis with final destination atlanta. At FL370 about 30 NM north of lit, we exited a haze and thin cloud layer only to find a few mi distant a building, dense cumulous cloud. Radar was on, but showed no precipitation or turbulence indication and there were no reports of more than light chop. Captain (myself) was at controls and asked the first officer to request a 15 degree deviation north. ZME was busy talking to other aircraft, so by the time we got clearance, we had entered the cloud. We immediately encountered severe turbulence with altitude gain of 700-800 ft. Lasted 7-10 seconds. Disconnected autoplt and manually leveled off again at FL370, exited cloud into smoother air. I instructed first officer to make turbulence report to center while I made PA to passenger and communicated with flight attendants about possible injuries or damage. 3 flight attendants had minor injuries. Fortunately, due to prior light chop, the seatbelt sign was on and PA had been made about 10 mins prior to severe turbulence for passenger and flight attendants to remain seated with seatbelts fastened. Supplemental information from acn 552517: we exited a cloud into clear air. We saw another cloud ahead of us, but nothing was painted on the radar. We tried to get a heading change to the left to avoid the cloud but ATC was very busy. By the time we were cleared to turn, we entered the cloud and experienced severe turbulence with an altitude gain of 700-800 ft. The autoplt turned off. The turbulence lasted 5-10 seconds. We then exited the cloud into clear air and descended back to FL370. We made a PA to the passenger and spoke with the flight attendants and found out 2 flight attendants hurt their backs and 1 passenger wanted to see a paramedic. During the situation, the fasten seatbelt sign was on and everyone but 1 flight attendant was seated with their seatbelt on. Both flight attendants and passenger continued on with us, so I assume no one was seriously injured.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B767ER FLC ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURB AT FL370.
Narrative: ON COURSE TOWARD MEMPHIS WITH FINAL DEST ATLANTA. AT FL370 ABOUT 30 NM N OF LIT, WE EXITED A HAZE AND THIN CLOUD LAYER ONLY TO FIND A FEW MI DISTANT A BUILDING, DENSE CUMULOUS CLOUD. RADAR WAS ON, BUT SHOWED NO PRECIP OR TURB INDICATION AND THERE WERE NO RPTS OF MORE THAN LIGHT CHOP. CAPT (MYSELF) WAS AT CTLS AND ASKED THE FO TO REQUEST A 15 DEG DEVIATION N. ZME WAS BUSY TALKING TO OTHER ACFT, SO BY THE TIME WE GOT CLRNC, WE HAD ENTERED THE CLOUD. WE IMMEDIATELY ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB WITH ALT GAIN OF 700-800 FT. LASTED 7-10 SECONDS. DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND MANUALLY LEVELED OFF AGAIN AT FL370, EXITED CLOUD INTO SMOOTHER AIR. I INSTRUCTED FO TO MAKE TURB RPT TO CTR WHILE I MADE PA TO PAX AND COMMUNICATED WITH FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT POSSIBLE INJURIES OR DAMAGE. 3 FLT ATTENDANTS HAD MINOR INJURIES. FORTUNATELY, DUE TO PRIOR LIGHT CHOP, THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS ON AND PA HAD BEEN MADE ABOUT 10 MINS PRIOR TO SEVERE TURB FOR PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS TO REMAIN SEATED WITH SEATBELTS FASTENED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 552517: WE EXITED A CLOUD INTO CLR AIR. WE SAW ANOTHER CLOUD AHEAD OF US, BUT NOTHING WAS PAINTED ON THE RADAR. WE TRIED TO GET A HDG CHANGE TO THE L TO AVOID THE CLOUD BUT ATC WAS VERY BUSY. BY THE TIME WE WERE CLRED TO TURN, WE ENTERED THE CLOUD AND EXPERIENCED SEVERE TURB WITH AN ALT GAIN OF 700-800 FT. THE AUTOPLT TURNED OFF. THE TURB LASTED 5-10 SECONDS. WE THEN EXITED THE CLOUD INTO CLR AIR AND DSNDED BACK TO FL370. WE MADE A PA TO THE PAX AND SPOKE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND FOUND OUT 2 FLT ATTENDANTS HURT THEIR BACKS AND 1 PAX WANTED TO SEE A PARAMEDIC. DURING THE SIT, THE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN WAS ON AND EVERYONE BUT 1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS SEATED WITH THEIR SEATBELT ON. BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX CONTINUED ON WITH US, SO I ASSUME NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED.
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.