Narrative:

We first flew into dsm from the west and then about an hour later departed from dsm. We had been cleared direct to dvc and to climb out from FL310 to FL350. There were visible clouds to our front and extending to the southwest. The radar showed precipitation (green) about 25 mi to the west, southwest of our position. We requested to deviate to the north (right of our course line) to avoid what I thought might be some light bumps as we continued our climb to cruise at FL350. We were cleared to deviate as necessary to the north. About 30 seconds after entering the clouds, with no precipitation and nothing on the radar we started to get pounded by turbulence and extreme updrafts. The vertical speed was pegged at the maximum of 6000 FPM up for several mins. The updrafts were lifting 1 side of the aircraft and then the other. The autoplt was knocked off almost immediately and I was hand flying the aircraft. The aircraft rolled into at least an 80 degree bank at one point. The first officer made an announcement to tell everyone (including the flight attendants) to take their seats. He also advised ATC that we were encountering severe turbulence and that we were turning even further to the right to hopefully move away from the turbulent air. The aircraft was shaking so violently that it was difficult for the first officer to talk on the radio. While keeping ATC and the crew informed the first officer also was keeping me informed of airspeed readouts, aircraft heading and bank angle. After about 5 mins we exited first the clouds and then the turbulent air well to the northwest of our original position. The seatbelt sign had been on during this event and only 1 passenger was out of her seat in the lavatory. She had exited the lavatory early and strapped into the first available seat. One of our flight attendants twisted her back while trying to keep a serving cart on the ground. The serving carts were tossed into the air several times during the encounter with the turbulent air. After the event the flight attendants spoke with each passenger and found that there were no injuries to any passenger. I used commercial radio to report the incident to our company dispatch and maintenance control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 EXPERIENCES UNEXPECTED SEVERE TURB RESULTING IN A CABIN ATTENDANT INJURY.

Narrative: WE FIRST FLEW INTO DSM FROM THE W AND THEN ABOUT AN HR LATER DEPARTED FROM DSM. WE HAD BEEN CLRED DIRECT TO DVC AND TO CLB OUT FROM FL310 TO FL350. THERE WERE VISIBLE CLOUDS TO OUR FRONT AND EXTENDING TO THE SW. THE RADAR SHOWED PRECIPITATION (GREEN) ABOUT 25 MI TO THE W, SW OF OUR POS. WE REQUESTED TO DEVIATE TO THE N (R OF OUR COURSE LINE) TO AVOID WHAT I THOUGHT MIGHT BE SOME LIGHT BUMPS AS WE CONTINUED OUR CLB TO CRUISE AT FL350. WE WERE CLRED TO DEVIATE AS NECESSARY TO THE N. ABOUT 30 SECONDS AFTER ENTERING THE CLOUDS, WITH NO PRECIPITATION AND NOTHING ON THE RADAR WE STARTED TO GET POUNDED BY TURB AND EXTREME UPDRAFTS. THE VERT SPD WAS PEGGED AT THE MAX OF 6000 FPM UP FOR SEVERAL MINS. THE UPDRAFTS WERE LIFTING 1 SIDE OF THE ACFT AND THEN THE OTHER. THE AUTOPLT WAS KNOCKED OFF ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND I WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT. THE ACFT ROLLED INTO AT LEAST AN 80 DEG BANK AT ONE POINT. THE FO MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO TELL EVERYONE (INCLUDING THE FLT ATTENDANTS) TO TAKE THEIR SEATS. HE ALSO ADVISED ATC THAT WE WERE ENCOUNTERING SEVERE TURB AND THAT WE WERE TURNING EVEN FURTHER TO THE R TO HOPEFULLY MOVE AWAY FROM THE TURBULENT AIR. THE ACFT WAS SHAKING SO VIOLENTLY THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE FO TO TALK ON THE RADIO. WHILE KEEPING ATC AND THE CREW INFORMED THE FO ALSO WAS KEEPING ME INFORMED OF AIRSPD READOUTS, ACFT HEADING AND BANK ANGLE. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS WE EXITED FIRST THE CLOUDS AND THEN THE TURBULENT AIR WELL TO THE NW OF OUR ORIGINAL POS. THE SEATBELT SIGN HAD BEEN ON DURING THIS EVENT AND ONLY 1 PAX WAS OUT OF HER SEAT IN THE LAVATORY. SHE HAD EXITED THE LAVATORY EARLY AND STRAPPED INTO THE FIRST AVAILABLE SEAT. ONE OF OUR FLT ATTENDANTS TWISTED HER BACK WHILE TRYING TO KEEP A SERVING CART ON THE GND. THE SERVING CARTS WERE TOSSED INTO THE AIR SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE TURBULENT AIR. AFTER THE EVENT THE FLT ATTENDANTS SPOKE WITH EACH PAX AND FOUND THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANY PAX. I USED COMMERCIAL RADIO TO RPT THE INCIDENT TO OUR COMPANY DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL.

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.