Narrative:

Flight from phx to bdl. During climb on silow departure (approximately FL250), crew requested deviation around significant cumulo nimbus build ups. Heading altered to the right (on autoplt). While deviating, crew noted an ancilliary buildup on radar (green and yellow). Crew continued deviation attempt further right to avoid. At time of detection of secondary (small) return, we reset heading to autoplt engaged. Approximately distance from secondary return less than 10 NM. Crew disconnected autoplt to expedite turn due to closeness of WX. We encountered moderate turbulence in vicinity of this secondary return. The nature of this turbulence was sudden and sharp as opposed to a more muted type that we generally encounter (similar to crossing jet wake turbulence from a crossing aircraft). Approximately 10 mins later, flight attendants contacted us with reported injury to third flight attendant. She reported falling as a result of turbulence. She was experiencing significant, sharp pain, and could not put weight on her foot. Flight deck attempted use of cam net for approximately 10 mins to contact phx with no success. We finally used arinc and received a call from phx. We reported the manifestations of the injury to the extent that we learned those facts (significant pain, no weight bearing capacity, etc). Socal recommended that we continue to bdl with flight attendant remaining seated. We passed that information to flight attendant, who initially agreed to same. Upon subsequent discussion with her, we re-contacted socal and suggested that she was encountering serious pain, and we/she thought we should get her on the ground for medical assistance. Socal concurred with our request and authorized diversion to den. During our climb out, we had initially not anticipated any exceptional WX problems as we had good visual references. We had the seatbelt sign on, radar on and were in the process of diverting around idented WX returns (from both visual and radar observation). We referred to the QRH, amm, fom, socal for supplemental guidance regarding the eventual overweight landing to be made in den (landing weight at den approximately 148.5 pounds versus mlw of 142.2 pounds). The above guidance (including maintenance control) provided that we could safely accomplish this landing. The guidance provided that we should avoid touchdown with velocity of greater than 360 FPM. We touched down at approximately 200 FPM. I elected to delcare an emergency as a precaution, in view of the fact that we were still exceeding a structural limitation. We advised ATC of this fact. Landing and taxi-in were normal. Note: during the fact gathering, following the injury, I initially advised ATC that we had encountered a turbulence related injury to the flight attendant, crew member. I indicated that we may request a diversion for medical assistance when we obtained an accurate status of the flight attendant, thus, they were already on notice of a potential divert.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT INJURY OCCURS WITH A SUBSEQUENT DIVERSION TO DEN WHEN AN ACR PAX JET EXPERIENCES MODERATE TURB NEAR FMN, NM.

Narrative: FLT FROM PHX TO BDL. DURING CLB ON SILOW DEP (APPROX FL250), CREW REQUESTED DEV AROUND SIGNIFICANT CUMULO NIMBUS BUILD UPS. HDG ALTERED TO THE R (ON AUTOPLT). WHILE DEVIATING, CREW NOTED AN ANCILLIARY BUILDUP ON RADAR (GREEN AND YELLOW). CREW CONTINUED DEV ATTEMPT FURTHER R TO AVOID. AT TIME OF DETECTION OF SECONDARY (SMALL) RETURN, WE RESET HDG TO AUTOPLT ENGAGED. APPROX DISTANCE FROM SECONDARY RETURN LESS THAN 10 NM. CREW DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT TO EXPEDITE TURN DUE TO CLOSENESS OF WX. WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB IN VICINITY OF THIS SECONDARY RETURN. THE NATURE OF THIS TURB WAS SUDDEN AND SHARP AS OPPOSED TO A MORE MUTED TYPE THAT WE GENERALLY ENCOUNTER (SIMILAR TO XING JET WAKE TURB FROM A XING ACFT). APPROX 10 MINS LATER, FLT ATTENDANTS CONTACTED US WITH RPTED INJURY TO THIRD FLT ATTENDANT. SHE RPTED FALLING AS A RESULT OF TURB. SHE WAS EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT, SHARP PAIN, AND COULD NOT PUT WT ON HER FOOT. FLT DECK ATTEMPTED USE OF CAM NET FOR APPROX 10 MINS TO CONTACT PHX WITH NO SUCCESS. WE FINALLY USED ARINC AND RECEIVED A CALL FROM PHX. WE RPTED THE MANIFESTATIONS OF THE INJURY TO THE EXTENT THAT WE LEARNED THOSE FACTS (SIGNIFICANT PAIN, NO WT BEARING CAPACITY, ETC). SOCAL RECOMMENDED THAT WE CONTINUE TO BDL WITH FLT ATTENDANT REMAINING SEATED. WE PASSED THAT INFO TO FLT ATTENDANT, WHO INITIALLY AGREED TO SAME. UPON SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION WITH HER, WE RE-CONTACTED SOCAL AND SUGGESTED THAT SHE WAS ENCOUNTERING SERIOUS PAIN, AND WE/SHE THOUGHT WE SHOULD GET HER ON THE GND FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. SOCAL CONCURRED WITH OUR REQUEST AND AUTHORIZED DIVERSION TO DEN. DURING OUR CLBOUT, WE HAD INITIALLY NOT ANTICIPATED ANY EXCEPTIONAL WX PROBS AS WE HAD GOOD VISUAL REFS. WE HAD THE SEATBELT SIGN ON, RADAR ON AND WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DIVERTING AROUND IDENTED WX RETURNS (FROM BOTH VISUAL AND RADAR OBSERVATION). WE REFERRED TO THE QRH, AMM, FOM, SOCAL FOR SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE REGARDING THE EVENTUAL OVERWT LNDG TO BE MADE IN DEN (LNDG WT AT DEN APPROX 148.5 LBS VERSUS MLW OF 142.2 LBS). THE ABOVE GUIDANCE (INCLUDING MAINT CTL) PROVIDED THAT WE COULD SAFELY ACCOMPLISH THIS LNDG. THE GUIDANCE PROVIDED THAT WE SHOULD AVOID TOUCHDOWN WITH VELOCITY OF GREATER THAN 360 FPM. WE TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROX 200 FPM. I ELECTED TO DELCARE AN EMER AS A PRECAUTION, IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT WE WERE STILL EXCEEDING A STRUCTURAL LIMITATION. WE ADVISED ATC OF THIS FACT. LNDG AND TAXI-IN WERE NORMAL. NOTE: DURING THE FACT GATHERING, FOLLOWING THE INJURY, I INITIALLY ADVISED ATC THAT WE HAD ENCOUNTERED A TURB RELATED INJURY TO THE FLT ATTENDANT, CREW MEMBER. I INDICATED THAT WE MAY REQUEST A DIVERSION FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE WHEN WE OBTAINED AN ACCURATE STATUS OF THE FLT ATTENDANT, THUS, THEY WERE ALREADY ON NOTICE OF A POTENTIAL DIVERT.

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.