Narrative:

On descent into ord, we were mostly in clouds with occasional light chop. At about FL220, we encountered light turbulence with occasional moderate chop. As soon as we encountered this unexpected increase in turbulence, the captain turned on the seatbelt sign. I started to increase my rate of descent to get out of it. As we were getting to smoother air, a flight attendant called to say one of her partners had been injured during the flight through the area of increased turbulence. Shortly thereafter, she called to say her partner was urinating blood. Captain sent a message to dispatch telling them of the injury and requesting medical people meet us at the plane. Captain declared us a 'lifeguard' flight with approach and we received priority handling. We landed uneventfully and the injured flight attendant was taken by paramedics off the plane. Captain then filled out a PIREP on the incident and sent it. Supplemental information from acn 594577: during an otherwise smooth descent, we encountered light turbulence with occasional moderate chop descending through FL240. The turbulence was unexpected and we had no warning from ATC. PIREPS available during preflight planning indicated turbulence only above FL310, although our flight had been relatively smooth. Upon encountering turbulence, I (captain) made a PA announcement for the flight attendants to return to their jumpseats. The first officer (PF) extended speed brakes and expedited the descent through FL210, at which point the ride smoothed out. Having noticed the winds aloft during our descent through turbulence, I suspect the turbulence was due to windshear from FL240 through FL210. Shortly after encountering turbulence, I received a call from the purser, who indicated that flight attendant Y was hurt and that we should have paramedics meet the flight. At this point we advised ord approach control that we would like to add 'lifeguard' designation to our flight and advised company operations of this request. After the flight, I debriefed with the flight attendants. The flight attendant in the back of the aircraft said that she had been buckled into her jumpseat when flight attendant Y was in the process of fastening his seatbelt. Flight attendant Y then 'flew' out of his jumpseat and landed on his hands and knees at door 2R. She suspected that he may have hit a galley cart (which were stowed). She also repeated that he had been in a lot of pain and that she felt his rib cage and felt something 'sticking out.' at some point, flight attendant Y had made the statement to her that he was urinating blood.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT ATTENDANT IS INJURED DURING AN A320'S ENCOUNTER WITH MODERATE CHOP DSNDING THROUGH FL240 90 MI SE OF ORD, IL.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO ORD, WE WERE MOSTLY IN CLOUDS WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHT CHOP. AT ABOUT FL220, WE ENCOUNTERED LIGHT TURB WITH OCCASIONAL MODERATE CHOP. AS SOON AS WE ENCOUNTERED THIS UNEXPECTED INCREASE IN TURB, THE CAPT TURNED ON THE SEATBELT SIGN. I STARTED TO INCREASE MY RATE OF DSCNT TO GET OUT OF IT. AS WE WERE GETTING TO SMOOTHER AIR, A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO SAY ONE OF HER PARTNERS HAD BEEN INJURED DURING THE FLT THROUGH THE AREA OF INCREASED TURB. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, SHE CALLED TO SAY HER PARTNER WAS URINATING BLOOD. CAPT SENT A MESSAGE TO DISPATCH TELLING THEM OF THE INJURY AND REQUESTING MEDICAL PEOPLE MEET US AT THE PLANE. CAPT DECLARED US A 'LIFEGUARD' FLT WITH APCH AND WE RECEIVED PRIORITY HANDLING. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT WAS TAKEN BY PARAMEDICS OFF THE PLANE. CAPT THEN FILLED OUT A PIREP ON THE INCIDENT AND SENT IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 594577: DURING AN OTHERWISE SMOOTH DSCNT, WE ENCOUNTERED LIGHT TURB WITH OCCASIONAL MODERATE CHOP DSNDING THROUGH FL240. THE TURB WAS UNEXPECTED AND WE HAD NO WARNING FROM ATC. PIREPS AVAILABLE DURING PREFLT PLANNING INDICATED TURB ONLY ABOVE FL310, ALTHOUGH OUR FLT HAD BEEN RELATIVELY SMOOTH. UPON ENCOUNTERING TURB, I (CAPT) MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO RETURN TO THEIR JUMPSEATS. THE FO (PF) EXTENDED SPD BRAKES AND EXPEDITED THE DSCNT THROUGH FL210, AT WHICH POINT THE RIDE SMOOTHED OUT. HAVING NOTICED THE WINDS ALOFT DURING OUR DSCNT THROUGH TURB, I SUSPECT THE TURB WAS DUE TO WINDSHEAR FROM FL240 THROUGH FL210. SHORTLY AFTER ENCOUNTERING TURB, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE PURSER, WHO INDICATED THAT FLT ATTENDANT Y WAS HURT AND THAT WE SHOULD HAVE PARAMEDICS MEET THE FLT. AT THIS POINT WE ADVISED ORD APCH CTL THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD 'LIFEGUARD' DESIGNATION TO OUR FLT AND ADVISED COMPANY OPS OF THIS REQUEST. AFTER THE FLT, I DEBRIEFED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THE FLT ATTENDANT IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT SAID THAT SHE HAD BEEN BUCKLED INTO HER JUMPSEAT WHEN FLT ATTENDANT Y WAS IN THE PROCESS OF FASTENING HIS SEATBELT. FLT ATTENDANT Y THEN 'FLEW' OUT OF HIS JUMPSEAT AND LANDED ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES AT DOOR 2R. SHE SUSPECTED THAT HE MAY HAVE HIT A GALLEY CART (WHICH WERE STOWED). SHE ALSO REPEATED THAT HE HAD BEEN IN A LOT OF PAIN AND THAT SHE FELT HIS RIB CAGE AND FELT SOMETHING 'STICKING OUT.' AT SOME POINT, FLT ATTENDANT Y HAD MADE THE STATEMENT TO HER THAT HE WAS URINATING BLOOD.

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.