B737 flight crew encounter moderate turbulence, level at FL240 on the cqy STAR into dfw. Coordinatio...

Narrative:

We were level at FL240 on the cqy-5 arrival into dfw. It was smooth, so I turned off the seatbelt sign and did my PA. There was WX over giffa and we decided to turn left to avoid the buildups. I suspected it would get bumpy near the WX, so I turned the seatbelt sign on again and told the passenger to remain seated. Before I could call the flight attendants, we encountered turbulence. It lasted 5-10 seconds. I immediately called the #1 flight attendant and she informed that she and several of the flight attendants suffered injuries. We called ahead and requested a flight attendant supervisor meet the aircraft. She took them to medical at dfw. All passenger were in their seats and none were injured. The first officer and I discussed the encounter and felt it was more moderate than it was severe. We did not report it because we felt it was isolated near the WX we were trying to avoid. I did not have the aircraft inspected because we felt it was more moderate than severe. After reviewing part 1 further, I decided that the aircraft should be inspected anyway as a precaution. I called the first officer and discussed this with him. Then I called the system operations center and he put me through to the maintenance director. We discussed the event and even though the encounter did not meet the full definition of severe, I asked him to have the aircraft inspected. He had it done while the aircraft was overnighting. The maintenance director said the inspection was completed and the aircraft was ok. Supplemental information from acn 592911: the autoplt stayed engaged and we were not thrown around. Kit bags, manuals, drink cups and the logbook did not move. Up until we parked, we did not consider the occurrence to be severe. I think it was on the upper end of moderate. I have never encountered severe, but accept that severe is what would be encountered in a thunderstorm. Upon review of flight manual, the captain decided that it would be best to take the conservative position and request an inspection be accomplished to remove doubt that the aircraft may have sustained damage. I did not suggest reporting the incident to ATC or dispatch because I felt that it was an isolated occurrence that came from flying near this isolated WX.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW ENCOUNTER MODERATE TURB, LEVEL AT FL240 ON THE CQY STAR INTO DFW. COORD WITH FLT ATTENDANTS IDENTIFY FLT ATTENDANT INJURIES.

Narrative: WE WERE LEVEL AT FL240 ON THE CQY-5 ARR INTO DFW. IT WAS SMOOTH, SO I TURNED OFF THE SEATBELT SIGN AND DID MY PA. THERE WAS WX OVER GIFFA AND WE DECIDED TO TURN L TO AVOID THE BUILDUPS. I SUSPECTED IT WOULD GET BUMPY NEAR THE WX, SO I TURNED THE SEATBELT SIGN ON AGAIN AND TOLD THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED. BEFORE I COULD CALL THE FLT ATTENDANTS, WE ENCOUNTERED TURB. IT LASTED 5-10 SECONDS. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND SHE INFORMED THAT SHE AND SEVERAL OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS SUFFERED INJURIES. WE CALLED AHEAD AND REQUESTED A FLT ATTENDANT SUPVR MEET THE ACFT. SHE TOOK THEM TO MEDICAL AT DFW. ALL PAX WERE IN THEIR SEATS AND NONE WERE INJURED. THE FO AND I DISCUSSED THE ENCOUNTER AND FELT IT WAS MORE MODERATE THAN IT WAS SEVERE. WE DID NOT RPT IT BECAUSE WE FELT IT WAS ISOLATED NEAR THE WX WE WERE TRYING TO AVOID. I DID NOT HAVE THE ACFT INSPECTED BECAUSE WE FELT IT WAS MORE MODERATE THAN SEVERE. AFTER REVIEWING PART 1 FURTHER, I DECIDED THAT THE ACFT SHOULD BE INSPECTED ANYWAY AS A PRECAUTION. I CALLED THE FO AND DISCUSSED THIS WITH HIM. THEN I CALLED THE SYS OPS CTR AND HE PUT ME THROUGH TO THE MAINT DIRECTOR. WE DISCUSSED THE EVENT AND EVEN THOUGH THE ENCOUNTER DID NOT MEET THE FULL DEFINITION OF SEVERE, I ASKED HIM TO HAVE THE ACFT INSPECTED. HE HAD IT DONE WHILE THE ACFT WAS OVERNIGHTING. THE MAINT DIRECTOR SAID THE INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED AND THE ACFT WAS OK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 592911: THE AUTOPLT STAYED ENGAGED AND WE WERE NOT THROWN AROUND. KIT BAGS, MANUALS, DRINK CUPS AND THE LOGBOOK DID NOT MOVE. UP UNTIL WE PARKED, WE DID NOT CONSIDER THE OCCURRENCE TO BE SEVERE. I THINK IT WAS ON THE UPPER END OF MODERATE. I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED SEVERE, BUT ACCEPT THAT SEVERE IS WHAT WOULD BE ENCOUNTERED IN A TSTM. UPON REVIEW OF FLT MANUAL, THE CAPT DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE BEST TO TAKE THE CONSERVATIVE POS AND REQUEST AN INSPECTION BE ACCOMPLISHED TO REMOVE DOUBT THAT THE ACFT MAY HAVE SUSTAINED DAMAGE. I DID NOT SUGGEST RPTING THE INCIDENT TO ATC OR DISPATCH BECAUSE I FELT THAT IT WAS AN ISOLATED OCCURRENCE THAT CAME FROM FLYING NEAR THIS ISOLATED WX.

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.

Attributes
ACN	592808
Time
Date	200309
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : giffa
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 24000
Environment
Weather Elements	Turbulence Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : cedar creek
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	592808
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	592911
Events
Anomaly	cabin event other inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather

B737 flight crew encounter moderate turbulence, level at FL240 on the cqy STAR into dfw. Coordination with flight attendants identify flight attendant injuries.