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Air carrier widebody transport in flight encounter with thunderstorm activity causing passenger injuries.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 94605 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198809 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bgi |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 36600 msl bound upper : 37500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ttzp tower : smf |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 165 flight time total : 18276 |
| ASRS Report | 94605 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 8100 |
| ASRS Report | 94653 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Departed jfk en route to rio de janeiro, brazil. WX departing frontal passage. En route WX prior to incident continual light chop VMC. Seatbelt sign on most of flight. Encountered what appeared to be mature to dissipating circuit breaker's south of adams (barbados) our altitude was FL370. Maneuvered slightly west of direct track to avoid obvious circuit breaker. Was returning to direct track in IMC using radar to avoid buildups which were in all quadrants. No lightning activity. Encountered light hail, st elmo's fire. Altitude deviation to 37500', then to 36600', then to FL370, our flight altitude. Pitch up and down, then up again, all very rapid having encountered an active circuit breaker close to the top IMC conditions at all times. Moon had set, so it was black outside. The seat belt sign was and had been illuminated! Flight service reported injuries to passenger in rear of aircraft. Injuries: bruises, back, arms to 7 passenger. After landing 1 passenger had hairline fracture in right forearm wrist area. In an unrelated incident first class pas had apparent massive coronary and died. How to prevent is not practical. Never fly in any kind of turbulence/or close to circuit breaker's. Possibly on board tv of WX in front by satellite. Supplemental information from acn 94653: we encountered the top of a circuit breaker that was not showing on radar and the aircraft pitched violently up, then down before the captain brought it under control. We had severe to moderate turbulence for a minute or two before we were clear.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR WDB IN FLT ENCOUNTER WITH TSTM ACTIVITY CAUSING PASSENGER INJURIES.
Narrative: DEPARTED JFK ENRTE TO RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL. WX DEPARTING FRONTAL PASSAGE. ENRTE WX PRIOR TO INCIDENT CONTINUAL LIGHT CHOP VMC. SEATBELT SIGN ON MOST OF FLT. ENCOUNTERED WHAT APPEARED TO BE MATURE TO DISSIPATING CB'S S OF ADAMS (BARBADOS) OUR ALT WAS FL370. MANEUVERED SLIGHTLY W OF DIRECT TRACK TO AVOID OBVIOUS CB. WAS RETURNING TO DIRECT TRACK IN IMC USING RADAR TO AVOID BUILDUPS WHICH WERE IN ALL QUADRANTS. NO LIGHTNING ACTIVITY. ENCOUNTERED LIGHT HAIL, ST ELMO'S FIRE. ALT DEVIATION TO 37500', THEN TO 36600', THEN TO FL370, OUR FLT ALT. PITCH UP AND DOWN, THEN UP AGAIN, ALL VERY RAPID HAVING ENCOUNTERED AN ACTIVE CB CLOSE TO THE TOP IMC CONDITIONS AT ALL TIMES. MOON HAD SET, SO IT WAS BLACK OUTSIDE. THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS AND HAD BEEN ILLUMINATED! FLT SVC RPTED INJURIES TO PAX IN REAR OF ACFT. INJURIES: BRUISES, BACK, ARMS TO 7 PAX. AFTER LNDG 1 PAX HAD HAIRLINE FRACTURE IN RIGHT FOREARM WRIST AREA. IN AN UNRELATED INCIDENT FIRST CLASS PAS HAD APPARENT MASSIVE CORONARY AND DIED. HOW TO PREVENT IS NOT PRACTICAL. NEVER FLY IN ANY KIND OF TURB/OR CLOSE TO CB'S. POSSIBLY ON BOARD TV OF WX IN FRONT BY SATELLITE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 94653: WE ENCOUNTERED THE TOP OF A CB THAT WAS NOT SHOWING ON RADAR AND THE ACFT PITCHED VIOLENTLY UP, THEN DOWN BEFORE THE CAPT BROUGHT IT UNDER CONTROL. WE HAD SEVERE TO MODERATE TURB FOR A MINUTE OR TWO BEFORE WE WERE CLR.
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.