Latest Turbulence Report: Two FA's Suffer Broken Bones En Route To Milwaukee

Two Midwest flight attendants are recovering after they were literally bounced from floor to ceiling when their flight ran into what was apparently severe turbulence last week. The MD-80, with 113 passengers on board, was en route from San Francisco (CA) to Milwaukee (WI) when it ran into the bone-crushing turbulence about 80 miles north of Denver. Just moments before, the captain had turned on the "fasten seat belts" sign, but at least two flight attendants were still in the aisles. Passenger Larry Geier said, "We had a sudden (drop), like the bottom dropped out."

The flight attendants both flew to the cabin ceiling, then were slammed back to the floor. One suffered a broken leg. The other suffered multiple fractures of her pelvis. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Denver (CO), where the two Midwest FAs were rushed to a local hospital. Both are in serious but stable condition.

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: MEP9        Make/Model: MD80      Description: MD-81/82/83/87/88
  Date: 08/07/2003     Time: 2104

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Serious     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: None

LOCATION
  City: DENVER   State: CO   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  MIDWEST EXPRESS MEP9, MD81 ACFT, ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE  AND THREE
  PERSONS ON BOARD SUSTAINED INJURIES, TWO FLIGHT ATTENDANTS AND ONE
  PASSENGER WERE INJURED,  OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN, DENVER, CO

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   1     Min:   1     Unk:   Y
                 # Pass:    0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   1     Unk:   Y
                 # Grnd:          Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: UNK

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Business      Phase: Cruise      Operation: Air Carrier

  Departed: SAN FRANSICO, CA            Dep Date:    Dep. Time:
  Destination: KANSAS CITY, MO          Flt Plan: IFR          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: UNK
  Last Clearance: CLRD TO CONTACT DENVER APCH

  FAA FSDO: DENVER, CO  (NM03)                    Entry date: 08/08/2003

FMI: www.midwestexpress.com