Narrative:

Flight conditions were smooth with no reports of turbulence. The seatbelt sign was still on because the captain was going to take a lavatory break and crew meals were about to be delivered. The captain had returned from his break, taken his seat and was about to secure his seatbelt. Crew meals and coffee had been delivered. Before the captain could secure his seatbelt, the following events occurred: with the first officer as PF and on autoplt, the aircraft was approximately 62 mi from MVA on the 064 degree radial. At FL340, while climbing in smooth air from FL330 to FL370, the aircraft began a hard uncontrollable roll to the right. With full left control stick input, aircraft was unresponsive. Bank right angle appeared to exceed 60 degrees. Aircraft began a rapid descent with pitch and bank variations. Passing through FL310, control inputs became effective. Aircraft was returned to level flight with no speed exceedences at about FL300. After aircraft was leveled, the first officer declared an emergency with ATC while the captain strapped into his seat. After the captain was secured in his seat, he took over radio control and notified ATC that we had encountered severe turbulence and reiterated that we were declaring an emergency. He asked ATC to stand by as we assessed conditions. We first evaluated aircraft condition and determined that there were no speed exceedences, nor were there any ECAM action items. Aircraft appeared to fly normally and all system appeared normal. However there was significant fluid spillage, crew meal food debris, etc, strewn about the cockpit. The captain then contacted the cabin and spoke with the purser. The purser indicated they were in the process of assessing damage and would get back to him. On the callback from the purser it was determined that there were no significant injuries. However, a passenger seated at xxc, who did not have her seatbelt secured, had flown from her seat and the flight attendants were in the process of assessing her condition. A second woman subsequently required oxygen due to anxiety. The purser indicated that she had possibly struck the ceiling, had a short term headache and was developing neck and shoulder pain. No other flight attendants reported injuries. Fortunately, the breakfast service in the cabin had not yet begun, and although carts in aft galley had been pulled out, they were not yet in the aisle. On further assessment of the cabin condition it was determined that one of the aft galley carts had punctured the plastic liner to the right of the arming lever on door 2R. Additionally, fluid and debris covered both galley areas. Based on the evaluations made by the purser and the other flight attendants, it was determined that the cabin could be secured and meal service begun. The captain and first officer discussed diversion options, the main concern being the purser's possible injuries. After a face-to-face evaluation with the purser, and repeated questions about her condition, she assured us she could continue to destination. Also, an emt on board had evaluated the purser and the woman in seat xxc, and found no serious injuries. During the remainder of the flight, after the incident, numerous maintenance log items were entered via ACARS and communications with dispatch were continued. With no serious injuries, no apparent aircraft damage and normal cockpit indications, we elected to continue to destination. Approximately 1 hour from ZZZ, the purser indicated her condition had worsened and was now complaining of lower back pain. We again contacted dispatch and requested that paramedics meet the aircraft on arrival at ZZZ. The flight continued uneventfully to a normal landing at ZZZ. The aircraft was met at the gate by paramedics, flight attendant/flight operations supervisors, customer service agents and mechanics. The purser elected to go to the hospital. The passenger from xxc has a brief evaluation by the paramedics. She elected no further medical attention. The remainder of the crew briefed all appropriate parties involved. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this analyst talked at length with the reporter. The reporter stated that the flight was climbing through FL322 for FL370 when a slight right roll occurred, followed by a smooth pause then a hard right roll and pitch oscillations. The fdr was examined and the following was found: roll oscillations up to 57.3 degrees, pitch oscillations from up to 9 degrees, down to 6 degrees with a maximum negative G of .93. This event lasted 33 seconds and ended with a descent at FL307. The maximum momentary rate of descent was 6000 FPM. The aircraft did not enter abnormal law and the crew found no aircraft damage. The ATC controller reported a DC10 at the same altitude 7 mi ahead after the flight crew declared the emergency and stated the problem. This pilot is getting the radar data to see if wake turbulence could be a factor. The forecast winds in the vicinity at the time of the occurrence started at about 310/22 with a temperature of -9 degrees isa. A forecast shirt of wind and temperature to 220 degrees/113 and -8 degrees isa temperature as the flight progressed. At the same time the tropopause was increasing from FL280 to FL380. The company investigators are also discussing the slight possibility of a flight control anomaly, but it is felt that is a remote probability. The crew discussed a diversion but because no serious bodily injury or aircraft damage occurred, decided to proceed to their destination. The reporter stated that he had just returned from a lavatory visit and was not restrained by his seatbelt at the time of the event. He held himself in with his hands on various overhead and seat fixed items. As stated in the report, miraculously only the 1 flight attendant was injured. The injured flight attendant did ultimately go to the hospital at the destination but no serious injury was found. The slightly injured passenger departed upon arrival after talking with destination emts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 ENCOUNTERED WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE SEVERE TURB CLBING THROUGH FL320.

Narrative: FLT CONDITIONS WERE SMOOTH WITH NO RPTS OF TURB. THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS STILL ON BECAUSE THE CAPT WAS GOING TO TAKE A LAVATORY BREAK AND CREW MEALS WERE ABOUT TO BE DELIVERED. THE CAPT HAD RETURNED FROM HIS BREAK, TAKEN HIS SEAT AND WAS ABOUT TO SECURE HIS SEATBELT. CREW MEALS AND COFFEE HAD BEEN DELIVERED. BEFORE THE CAPT COULD SECURE HIS SEATBELT, THE FOLLOWING EVENTS OCCURRED: WITH THE FO AS PF AND ON AUTOPLT, THE ACFT WAS APPROX 62 MI FROM MVA ON THE 064 DEG RADIAL. AT FL340, WHILE CLBING IN SMOOTH AIR FROM FL330 TO FL370, THE ACFT BEGAN A HARD UNCTLABLE ROLL TO THE R. WITH FULL L CTL STICK INPUT, ACFT WAS UNRESPONSIVE. BANK R ANGLE APPEARED TO EXCEED 60 DEGS. ACFT BEGAN A RAPID DSCNT WITH PITCH AND BANK VARIATIONS. PASSING THROUGH FL310, CTL INPUTS BECAME EFFECTIVE. ACFT WAS RETURNED TO LEVEL FLT WITH NO SPD EXCEEDENCES AT ABOUT FL300. AFTER ACFT WAS LEVELED, THE FO DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC WHILE THE CAPT STRAPPED INTO HIS SEAT. AFTER THE CAPT WAS SECURED IN HIS SEAT, HE TOOK OVER RADIO CTL AND NOTIFIED ATC THAT WE HAD ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB AND REITERATED THAT WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER. HE ASKED ATC TO STAND BY AS WE ASSESSED CONDITIONS. WE FIRST EVALUATED ACFT CONDITION AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE NO SPD EXCEEDENCES, NOR WERE THERE ANY ECAM ACTION ITEMS. ACFT APPEARED TO FLY NORMALLY AND ALL SYS APPEARED NORMAL. HOWEVER THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT FLUID SPILLAGE, CREW MEAL FOOD DEBRIS, ETC, STREWN ABOUT THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT THEN CONTACTED THE CABIN AND SPOKE WITH THE PURSER. THE PURSER INDICATED THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF ASSESSING DAMAGE AND WOULD GET BACK TO HIM. ON THE CALLBACK FROM THE PURSER IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT INJURIES. HOWEVER, A PAX SEATED AT XXC, WHO DID NOT HAVE HER SEATBELT SECURED, HAD FLOWN FROM HER SEAT AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE IN THE PROCESS OF ASSESSING HER CONDITION. A SECOND WOMAN SUBSEQUENTLY REQUIRED OXYGEN DUE TO ANXIETY. THE PURSER INDICATED THAT SHE HAD POSSIBLY STRUCK THE CEILING, HAD A SHORT TERM HEADACHE AND WAS DEVELOPING NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN. NO OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED INJURIES. FORTUNATELY, THE BREAKFAST SVC IN THE CABIN HAD NOT YET BEGUN, AND ALTHOUGH CARTS IN AFT GALLEY HAD BEEN PULLED OUT, THEY WERE NOT YET IN THE AISLE. ON FURTHER ASSESSMENT OF THE CABIN CONDITION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE AFT GALLEY CARTS HAD PUNCTURED THE PLASTIC LINER TO THE R OF THE ARMING LEVER ON DOOR 2R. ADDITIONALLY, FLUID AND DEBRIS COVERED BOTH GALLEY AREAS. BASED ON THE EVALUATIONS MADE BY THE PURSER AND THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CABIN COULD BE SECURED AND MEAL SVC BEGUN. THE CAPT AND FO DISCUSSED DIVERSION OPTIONS, THE MAIN CONCERN BEING THE PURSER'S POSSIBLE INJURIES. AFTER A FACE-TO-FACE EVALUATION WITH THE PURSER, AND REPEATED QUESTIONS ABOUT HER CONDITION, SHE ASSURED US SHE COULD CONTINUE TO DEST. ALSO, AN EMT ON BOARD HAD EVALUATED THE PURSER AND THE WOMAN IN SEAT XXC, AND FOUND NO SERIOUS INJURIES. DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT, AFTER THE INCIDENT, NUMEROUS MAINT LOG ITEMS WERE ENTERED VIA ACARS AND COMS WITH DISPATCH WERE CONTINUED. WITH NO SERIOUS INJURIES, NO APPARENT ACFT DAMAGE AND NORMAL COCKPIT INDICATIONS, WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO DEST. APPROX 1 HR FROM ZZZ, THE PURSER INDICATED HER CONDITION HAD WORSENED AND WAS NOW COMPLAINING OF LOWER BACK PAIN. WE AGAIN CONTACTED DISPATCH AND REQUESTED THAT PARAMEDICS MEET THE ACFT ON ARR AT ZZZ. THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO A NORMAL LNDG AT ZZZ. THE ACFT WAS MET AT THE GATE BY PARAMEDICS, FLT ATTENDANT/FLT OPS SUPVRS, CUSTOMER SVC AGENTS AND MECHS. THE PURSER ELECTED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. THE PAX FROM XXC HAS A BRIEF EVALUATION BY THE PARAMEDICS. SHE ELECTED NO FURTHER MEDICAL ATTN. THE REMAINDER OF THE CREW BRIEFED ALL APPROPRIATE PARTIES INVOLVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS ANALYST TALKED AT LENGTH WITH THE RPTR. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE FLT WAS CLBING THROUGH FL322 FOR FL370 WHEN A SLIGHT R ROLL OCCURRED, FOLLOWED BY A SMOOTH PAUSE THEN A HARD R ROLL AND PITCH OSCILLATIONS. THE FDR WAS EXAMINED AND THE FOLLOWING WAS FOUND: ROLL OSCILLATIONS UP TO 57.3 DEGS, PITCH OSCILLATIONS FROM UP TO 9 DEGS, DOWN TO 6 DEGS WITH A MAX NEGATIVE G OF .93. THIS EVENT LASTED 33 SECONDS AND ENDED WITH A DSCNT AT FL307. THE MAX MOMENTARY RATE OF DSCNT WAS 6000 FPM. THE ACFT DID NOT ENTER ABNORMAL LAW AND THE CREW FOUND NO ACFT DAMAGE. THE ATC CTLR RPTED A DC10 AT THE SAME ALT 7 MI AHEAD AFTER THE FLT CREW DECLARED THE EMER AND STATED THE PROB. THIS PLT IS GETTING THE RADAR DATA TO SEE IF WAKE TURB COULD BE A FACTOR. THE FORECAST WINDS IN THE VICINITY AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE STARTED AT ABOUT 310/22 WITH A TEMP OF -9 DEGS ISA. A FORECAST SHIRT OF WIND AND TEMP TO 220 DEGS/113 AND -8 DEGS ISA TEMP AS THE FLT PROGRESSED. AT THE SAME TIME THE TROPOPAUSE WAS INCREASING FROM FL280 TO FL380. THE COMPANY INVESTIGATORS ARE ALSO DISCUSSING THE SLIGHT POSSIBILITY OF A FLT CTL ANOMALY, BUT IT IS FELT THAT IS A REMOTE PROBABILITY. THE CREW DISCUSSED A DIVERSION BUT BECAUSE NO SERIOUS BODILY INJURY OR ACFT DAMAGE OCCURRED, DECIDED TO PROCEED TO THEIR DEST. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A LAVATORY VISIT AND WAS NOT RESTRAINED BY HIS SEATBELT AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. HE HELD HIMSELF IN WITH HIS HANDS ON VARIOUS OVERHEAD AND SEAT FIXED ITEMS. AS STATED IN THE RPT, MIRACULOUSLY ONLY THE 1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS INJURED. THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT DID ULTIMATELY GO TO THE HOSPITAL AT THE DEST BUT NO SERIOUS INJURY WAS FOUND. THE SLIGHTLY INJURED PAX DEPARTED UPON ARR AFTER TALKING WITH DEST EMTS.

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.