Narrative:

Our flight operated from mco to cvg. Moderate turbulence was encountered while in cruise at FL350. I was captain undergoing IOE training with a company check airman. Near atl we descended at ATC direction from FL370 to FL350 and from VMC into marginal IMC. As we approached the odf VOR, our radar depicted a line of level 2 and 3 thunderstorms ahead of us oriented west to east across our flight path. Dispatcher had forewarned us via ACARS of the WX and the possible need to deviate to the west. After discussion with each other and ATC, we began a deviation to the west and the check captain advised the flight attendants to suspend service and take their seats. Shortly thereafter, he made a PA cautioning the passenger to stay seated. The seatbelt sign was on. I chose to fly a course that took the aircraft between 2 level 2 storms (as depicted on our radar) that were separated by about 40 NM. The wind was out of the west at about 40 KTS and I kept about 30 NM abeam, and downwind of, the nearest upwind cell. Flight conditions between the cells were IMC and smooth. After passing through the gap between the cells, and after ATC had queried us about the ride, we entered moderate turbulence that lasted about 10-15 seconds. About 10 mins had elapsed since our first warning to the flight attendants and passenger. At least 1 flight attendant was apparently not seated. She was thrown off her feet and suffered a neck injury of undetermined severity. 1 passenger, girl of 9 yrs old, was in the aisle and was bruised when she fell against a seat. Dispatcher was notified and paramedics responded to the gate at cvg. The young passenger was examined and sent on her way with her parents. A cvg flight attendant supervisor met the aircraft as well and left with the injured flight attendant. Supplemental information from acn 579806: flight encountered moderate turbulence for approximately 15 seconds resulting in minor injuries to 2 people, a child and a crew member. There was a cold front in the vicinity of odf preceded by a line of convective activity. Flight dispatch advised us of the WX. The seat belt sign was turned on 60 mi prior to the WX. An interphone call to the flight attendants was made telling them I would like them to be seated in about 5 mins. A PA was made about 5 mins later telling them and the passenger about the WX and asking the flight attendants to situation down. 5 mins later, we encountered the turbulence. We crossed the WX through a 40 mi hole. The turbulence was encountered after we passed the WX. The flight attendants had not yet taken their seats and were trying to finish a beverage service. The child was unable to return to her seat because of a cart in the aisle blocking her way and suffered a bruise on her side. When asked why they did not take their seats, one replied, 'I thought we had 5 mins.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 ENCOUNTERS MODERATE TURB RESULTING IN INJURY TO A PAX AND A FLT ATTENDANT.

Narrative: OUR FLT OPERATED FROM MCO TO CVG. MODERATE TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED WHILE IN CRUISE AT FL350. I WAS CAPT UNDERGOING IOE TRAINING WITH A COMPANY CHK AIRMAN. NEAR ATL WE DSNDED AT ATC DIRECTION FROM FL370 TO FL350 AND FROM VMC INTO MARGINAL IMC. AS WE APCHED THE ODF VOR, OUR RADAR DEPICTED A LINE OF LEVEL 2 AND 3 TSTMS AHEAD OF US ORIENTED W TO E ACROSS OUR FLT PATH. DISPATCHER HAD FOREWARNED US VIA ACARS OF THE WX AND THE POSSIBLE NEED TO DEVIATE TO THE W. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH EACH OTHER AND ATC, WE BEGAN A DEV TO THE W AND THE CHK CAPT ADVISED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SUSPEND SVC AND TAKE THEIR SEATS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE MADE A PA CAUTIONING THE PAX TO STAY SEATED. THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS ON. I CHOSE TO FLY A COURSE THAT TOOK THE ACFT BTWN 2 LEVEL 2 STORMS (AS DEPICTED ON OUR RADAR) THAT WERE SEPARATED BY ABOUT 40 NM. THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE W AT ABOUT 40 KTS AND I KEPT ABOUT 30 NM ABEAM, AND DOWNWIND OF, THE NEAREST UPWIND CELL. FLT CONDITIONS BTWN THE CELLS WERE IMC AND SMOOTH. AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE GAP BTWN THE CELLS, AND AFTER ATC HAD QUERIED US ABOUT THE RIDE, WE ENTERED MODERATE TURB THAT LASTED ABOUT 10-15 SECONDS. ABOUT 10 MINS HAD ELAPSED SINCE OUR FIRST WARNING TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX. AT LEAST 1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS APPARENTLY NOT SEATED. SHE WAS THROWN OFF HER FEET AND SUFFERED A NECK INJURY OF UNDETERMINED SEVERITY. 1 PAX, GIRL OF 9 YRS OLD, WAS IN THE AISLE AND WAS BRUISED WHEN SHE FELL AGAINST A SEAT. DISPATCHER WAS NOTIFIED AND PARAMEDICS RESPONDED TO THE GATE AT CVG. THE YOUNG PAX WAS EXAMINED AND SENT ON HER WAY WITH HER PARENTS. A CVG FLT ATTENDANT SUPVR MET THE ACFT AS WELL AND LEFT WITH THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 579806: FLT ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB FOR APPROX 15 SECONDS RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES TO 2 PEOPLE, A CHILD AND A CREW MEMBER. THERE WAS A COLD FRONT IN THE VICINITY OF ODF PRECEDED BY A LINE OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. FLT DISPATCH ADVISED US OF THE WX. THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS TURNED ON 60 MI PRIOR TO THE WX. AN INTERPHONE CALL TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS WAS MADE TELLING THEM I WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE SEATED IN ABOUT 5 MINS. A PA WAS MADE ABOUT 5 MINS LATER TELLING THEM AND THE PAX ABOUT THE WX AND ASKING THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SIT DOWN. 5 MINS LATER, WE ENCOUNTERED THE TURB. WE CROSSED THE WX THROUGH A 40 MI HOLE. THE TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED AFTER WE PASSED THE WX. THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD NOT YET TAKEN THEIR SEATS AND WERE TRYING TO FINISH A BEVERAGE SVC. THE CHILD WAS UNABLE TO RETURN TO HER SEAT BECAUSE OF A CART IN THE AISLE BLOCKING HER WAY AND SUFFERED A BRUISE ON HER SIDE. WHEN ASKED WHY THEY DID NOT TAKE THEIR SEATS, ONE REPLIED, 'I THOUGHT WE HAD 5 MINS.'

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.