Narrative:

Location: dfw. On approach descent to dfw we were deviating to the south of a thunderstorm located to the west and northwest of the airport. Radar and lightning indicated that the WX could create some turbulence, 'bumps,' during the remainder of the flight. So I phoned the #1 flight attendant and warned her, 'it could get bumpy.' she phoned the other 2 flight attendants and passed the word. 1 min after that call, we entered clouds which I did not see in time to avoid. The radar did not indicate activity there -- I could see the ground -- and the darkness obscured the clouds. We encountered moderate turbulence that shook the plane for approximately 30-45 seconds. Upon exiting the turbulence, one of the flight attendants phoned to say she was hurt and had probably broken her ankle and would need assistance upon arrival. I requested approach to phone ahead for paramedics to meet the aircraft at our gate. I called the flight attendants to inquire about the cabin's occupants and was informed that the passenger appeared unharmed but that the other flight attendant in the back also had injured an ankle. Because there was no aircraft in front of us for landing, we already had a favorable runway assignment, ATC knew we had a problem, and because I thought doing so would unnecessarily complicate matters, I did not declare an emergency. My #1 flight attendant told me later that the warning I passed gave her time to seat 2 passenger that were standing near the lavatory. Everyone but the 2 injured flight attendants were seated and belted. (The seat belt sign was on.) the #1 flight attendant queried each row of passenger as to their condition and all reported 'ok.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANTS INJURED WHEN A DSNDING MD80 FLT UNEXPECTEDLY RUNS INTO CLOUD GENERATED TURB ON A NIGHT OP INTO DFW, TX.

Narrative: LOCATION: DFW. ON APCH DSCNT TO DFW WE WERE DEVIATING TO THE S OF A TSTM LOCATED TO THE W AND NW OF THE ARPT. RADAR AND LIGHTNING INDICATED THAT THE WX COULD CREATE SOME TURB, 'BUMPS,' DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. SO I PHONED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND WARNED HER, 'IT COULD GET BUMPY.' SHE PHONED THE OTHER 2 FLT ATTENDANTS AND PASSED THE WORD. 1 MIN AFTER THAT CALL, WE ENTERED CLOUDS WHICH I DID NOT SEE IN TIME TO AVOID. THE RADAR DID NOT INDICATE ACTIVITY THERE -- I COULD SEE THE GND -- AND THE DARKNESS OBSCURED THE CLOUDS. WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB THAT SHOOK THE PLANE FOR APPROX 30-45 SECONDS. UPON EXITING THE TURB, ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS PHONED TO SAY SHE WAS HURT AND HAD PROBABLY BROKEN HER ANKLE AND WOULD NEED ASSISTANCE UPON ARR. I REQUESTED APCH TO PHONE AHEAD FOR PARAMEDICS TO MEET THE ACFT AT OUR GATE. I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE CABIN'S OCCUPANTS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PAX APPEARED UNHARMED BUT THAT THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT IN THE BACK ALSO HAD INJURED AN ANKLE. BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ACFT IN FRONT OF US FOR LNDG, WE ALREADY HAD A FAVORABLE RWY ASSIGNMENT, ATC KNEW WE HAD A PROB, AND BECAUSE I THOUGHT DOING SO WOULD UNNECESSARILY COMPLICATE MATTERS, I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. MY #1 FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME LATER THAT THE WARNING I PASSED GAVE HER TIME TO SEAT 2 PAX THAT WERE STANDING NEAR THE LAVATORY. EVERYONE BUT THE 2 INJURED FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SEATED AND BELTED. (THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS ON.) THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT QUERIED EACH ROW OF PAX AS TO THEIR CONDITION AND ALL RPTED 'OK.'

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.