Narrative:

I was the PF on flight en route to abq. We had just finished our TOD duties and received instructions to initiate our descent into abq from ZAB. The arrival ATIS said to expect light to moderate turbulence below 11000 ft. The fasten seat belt sign had been on for approximately 3-5 mins; and the captain had made a PA to the passenger that the flight attendants would be cleaning up the cabin early and taking their seats. We were descending through approximately FL250 and were approaching some clouds ahead. The captain went off radio and asked the flight attendants if they had finished their cleanup; which they had not. He then told them to be seated. I had the speed brakes extended and was at 280 KIAS in our descent. Approximately 10-15 seconds later we encountered a couple of moderate bumps; followed by severe turbulence for approximately 5-10 seconds. I pulled the nose up to slow to approximately 250-230 KTS as smoothly as I could to lessen the effects of the turbulence. Approximately 30 seconds later we got a call from the cabin that one of the flight attendants was injured and lying on her back in the aisle. While the captain was talking to the cabin; I notified ATC of our severe turbulence encounter; and that we would be slowing and would not make a previously assigned crossing restr. ATC allowed us to slow and deviate as necessary. The captain radioed ahead to have paramedics meet us at the gate at abq. Before we left ZAB; I again informed them of the severe turbulence. We continued to receive light to moderate turbulence all the way to landing. The captain instructed the passenger to remain seated at the gate until the paramedics tended to the injured flight attendant. Once on the ground; we parked the aircraft and the paramedics tended to the injured flight attendant; who was then taken out of the back of the aircraft on a stretcher and to the hospital; along with 1 other flight attendant who wanted to ride along for support. We wrote the aircraft up for severe turbulence and spoke with maintenance; dispatch; and scheduling. We continued on our original pairing once all of the administrative and passenger issues were taken care of. Consideration: prior to beginning the flight; there were no turbulence plots in the WX packet for our route of flight; nor were there any PIREPS from other aircraft or from ZAB concerning turbulence anywhere in the area. Once in-flight; we received no updated turbulence reports from ACARS. There was no convective WX activity in the area. We attempted to secure the cabin early in the expectations of a bumpy ride down low; but had no indications that we were approaching an area of severe turbulence up at altitude. The captain stayed in phone contact with the 3 flight attendants through the night and into the next day to ensure that they were all right and receiving the help and support they needed and to keep us advised of their condition. I don't feel that the turbulence plot software and system is accurate in showing areas of turbulence; especially in the southern us; as it is frequently inaccurate. I was also surprised to hear that the injured flight attendant was not in her seat; as the captain had instructed them to be seated. There was possibly a communication disconnect between the flight attendants in not passing the word onto the other flight attendants that the captain wanted them to be seated. Also; it seems that ATC doesn't pass on reports of even light turbulence to an aircraft checking in on frequency unless that aircraft specifically asks about the ride ahead; which would have alerted us to the bad ride ahead at altitude. Otherwise; all concerned were helpful and professional in handling the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW REPORTS ENCOUNTERING UNREPORTED SEVERE TURBULENCE 80 NM SOUTH OF ABQ; DESCENDING THROUGH FL220. A FLIGHT ATTENDANT IS INJURED.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF ON FLT ENRTE TO ABQ. WE HAD JUST FINISHED OUR TOD DUTIES AND RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO INITIATE OUR DSCNT INTO ABQ FROM ZAB. THE ARR ATIS SAID TO EXPECT LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB BELOW 11000 FT. THE FASTEN SEAT BELT SIGN HAD BEEN ON FOR APPROX 3-5 MINS; AND THE CAPT HAD MADE A PA TO THE PAX THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS WOULD BE CLEANING UP THE CABIN EARLY AND TAKING THEIR SEATS. WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH APPROX FL250 AND WERE APCHING SOME CLOUDS AHEAD. THE CAPT WENT OFF RADIO AND ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS IF THEY HAD FINISHED THEIR CLEANUP; WHICH THEY HAD NOT. HE THEN TOLD THEM TO BE SEATED. I HAD THE SPD BRAKES EXTENDED AND WAS AT 280 KIAS IN OUR DSCNT. APPROX 10-15 SECONDS LATER WE ENCOUNTERED A COUPLE OF MODERATE BUMPS; FOLLOWED BY SEVERE TURB FOR APPROX 5-10 SECONDS. I PULLED THE NOSE UP TO SLOW TO APPROX 250-230 KTS AS SMOOTHLY AS I COULD TO LESSEN THE EFFECTS OF THE TURB. APPROX 30 SECONDS LATER WE GOT A CALL FROM THE CABIN THAT ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS WAS INJURED AND LYING ON HER BACK IN THE AISLE. WHILE THE CAPT WAS TALKING TO THE CABIN; I NOTIFIED ATC OF OUR SEVERE TURB ENCOUNTER; AND THAT WE WOULD BE SLOWING AND WOULD NOT MAKE A PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED XING RESTR. ATC ALLOWED US TO SLOW AND DEVIATE AS NECESSARY. THE CAPT RADIOED AHEAD TO HAVE PARAMEDICS MEET US AT THE GATE AT ABQ. BEFORE WE LEFT ZAB; I AGAIN INFORMED THEM OF THE SEVERE TURB. WE CONTINUED TO RECEIVE LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB ALL THE WAY TO LNDG. THE CAPT INSTRUCTED THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED AT THE GATE UNTIL THE PARAMEDICS TENDED TO THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT. ONCE ON THE GND; WE PARKED THE ACFT AND THE PARAMEDICS TENDED TO THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT; WHO WAS THEN TAKEN OUT OF THE BACK OF THE ACFT ON A STRETCHER AND TO THE HOSPITAL; ALONG WITH 1 OTHER FLT ATTENDANT WHO WANTED TO RIDE ALONG FOR SUPPORT. WE WROTE THE ACFT UP FOR SEVERE TURB AND SPOKE WITH MAINT; DISPATCH; AND SCHEDULING. WE CONTINUED ON OUR ORIGINAL PAIRING ONCE ALL OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND PAX ISSUES WERE TAKEN CARE OF. CONSIDERATION: PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE FLT; THERE WERE NO TURB PLOTS IN THE WX PACKET FOR OUR RTE OF FLT; NOR WERE THERE ANY PIREPS FROM OTHER ACFT OR FROM ZAB CONCERNING TURB ANYWHERE IN THE AREA. ONCE INFLT; WE RECEIVED NO UPDATED TURB RPTS FROM ACARS. THERE WAS NO CONVECTIVE WX ACTIVITY IN THE AREA. WE ATTEMPTED TO SECURE THE CABIN EARLY IN THE EXPECTATIONS OF A BUMPY RIDE DOWN LOW; BUT HAD NO INDICATIONS THAT WE WERE APCHING AN AREA OF SEVERE TURB UP AT ALT. THE CAPT STAYED IN PHONE CONTACT WITH THE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS THROUGH THE NIGHT AND INTO THE NEXT DAY TO ENSURE THAT THEY WERE ALL RIGHT AND RECEIVING THE HELP AND SUPPORT THEY NEEDED AND TO KEEP US ADVISED OF THEIR CONDITION. I DON'T FEEL THAT THE TURB PLOT SOFTWARE AND SYS IS ACCURATE IN SHOWING AREAS OF TURB; ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHERN US; AS IT IS FREQUENTLY INACCURATE. I WAS ALSO SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT WAS NOT IN HER SEAT; AS THE CAPT HAD INSTRUCTED THEM TO BE SEATED. THERE WAS POSSIBLY A COM DISCONNECT BTWN THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN NOT PASSING THE WORD ONTO THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS THAT THE CAPT WANTED THEM TO BE SEATED. ALSO; IT SEEMS THAT ATC DOESN'T PASS ON RPTS OF EVEN LIGHT TURB TO AN ACFT CHKING IN ON FREQ UNLESS THAT ACFT SPECIFICALLY ASKS ABOUT THE RIDE AHEAD; WHICH WOULD HAVE ALERTED US TO THE BAD RIDE AHEAD AT ALT. OTHERWISE; ALL CONCERNED WERE HELPFUL AND PROFESSIONAL IN HANDLING THE SITUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.