Narrative:

My WX briefing came from the flight operations WX computer. I didn't see any reports on turbulence, only strong winds. We took off out of springfield, il. To do some aerial photography south of carbondale, il. The ride down was slow into the headwind but smooth. (At 3000' MSL) upon reaching the job site, we began a descent to the 2100' altitude required for the job. As we passed through 2500', we encountered a few light to moderate bumps, but they weren't strong enough to make us discontinue the flight. As we continued the descent through 2300' we encountered 2 or 3 consecutive severe bumps. The third of these dislodged the belly mounted camera. (The camera weighs a little over 300 # and is locked to the floor with hinges on one side and a spring-loaded clasping device on the other side). As the camera popped up (photographer's) leg slid underneath it. Then as it came back down it caught photographer's ankle and cut him to the bone. The entire incident from the initial descent lasted about 30 second or so. I then climbed back out of the bumps and turned towards carbondale. I informed the tower what had happened and requested a taxi meet us. We didn't request an ambulance or declare an emergency. We landed without incident. An emt on the field bandaged it and we went to carbondale hospital emergency room. They gave him 17 stiches and x-rayed him (no broken bones). It never did bleed. We stayed on the ground in carbondale until nearly that evening when the winds and turbulence died down enough for us to fly home. (We checked the plane before leaving and saw no damage.) we flew home without incident. Photog's leg was stiff and sore but he was O.K. I believe geographic factors (river bluffs) may have contributed to the turbulence. When we got back to springfield, state mechanics checked the aircraft and found no damage. To the best of my knowledge no far's were violated. SIGMET november 2 was issued partly due to our PIREP.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHOTOGRAPHER ON SMA PHOTO MISSION INJURED WHEN TURBULENCE ENCOUNTERED AND CAMERA BROKE LOOSE.

Narrative: MY WX BRIEFING CAME FROM THE FLT OPS WX COMPUTER. I DIDN'T SEE ANY RPTS ON TURB, ONLY STRONG WINDS. WE TOOK OFF OUT OF SPRINGFIELD, IL. TO DO SOME AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY S OF CARBONDALE, IL. THE RIDE DOWN WAS SLOW INTO THE HEADWIND BUT SMOOTH. (AT 3000' MSL) UPON REACHING THE JOB SITE, WE BEGAN A DSCNT TO THE 2100' ALT REQUIRED FOR THE JOB. AS WE PASSED THROUGH 2500', WE ENCOUNTERED A FEW LIGHT TO MODERATE BUMPS, BUT THEY WEREN'T STRONG ENOUGH TO MAKE US DISCONTINUE THE FLT. AS WE CONTINUED THE DSCNT THROUGH 2300' WE ENCOUNTERED 2 OR 3 CONSECUTIVE SEVERE BUMPS. THE THIRD OF THESE DISLODGED THE BELLY MOUNTED CAMERA. (THE CAMERA WEIGHS A LITTLE OVER 300 # AND IS LOCKED TO THE FLOOR WITH HINGES ON ONE SIDE AND A SPRING-LOADED CLASPING DEVICE ON THE OTHER SIDE). AS THE CAMERA POPPED UP (PHOTOGRAPHER'S) LEG SLID UNDERNEATH IT. THEN AS IT CAME BACK DOWN IT CAUGHT PHOTOGRAPHER'S ANKLE AND CUT HIM TO THE BONE. THE ENTIRE INCIDENT FROM THE INITIAL DSCNT LASTED ABOUT 30 SEC OR SO. I THEN CLBED BACK OUT OF THE BUMPS AND TURNED TOWARDS CARBONDALE. I INFORMED THE TWR WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND REQUESTED A TAXI MEET US. WE DIDN'T REQUEST AN AMBULANCE OR DECLARE AN EMER. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AN EMT ON THE FIELD BANDAGED IT AND WE WENT TO CARBONDALE HOSPITAL EMER ROOM. THEY GAVE HIM 17 STICHES AND X-RAYED HIM (NO BROKEN BONES). IT NEVER DID BLEED. WE STAYED ON THE GND IN CARBONDALE UNTIL NEARLY THAT EVENING WHEN THE WINDS AND TURB DIED DOWN ENOUGH FOR US TO FLY HOME. (WE CHECKED THE PLANE BEFORE LEAVING AND SAW NO DAMAGE.) WE FLEW HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. PHOTOG'S LEG WAS STIFF AND SORE BUT HE WAS O.K. I BELIEVE GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS (RIVER BLUFFS) MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE TURBULENCE. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO SPRINGFIELD, STATE MECHANICS CHECKED THE ACFT AND FOUND NO DAMAGE. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE NO FAR'S WERE VIOLATED. SIGMET NOVEMBER 2 WAS ISSUED PARTLY DUE TO OUR PIREP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.