What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The incident aircraft was dispatched along a 400 NM route in a predicted area of convective activity. The captain accepted the dispatched routing as planned. During a time period of three (3) hours, isolated, general air-mass-type thunderstorms continued to develop, dissipate and re-form into an organized, chain of embedded thunderstorms clustered along the route of flight. The dispatcher on duty stated he did not recognize any weather-related risks for the region the aircraft was intending to operate. The flightcrew reported IMC conditions existed for both the climb-out and initial cruise phase of flight causing the flightcrew to rely on the use of airborne radar for weather avoidance. A direct routing was requested by the flightcrew for weather along their planned route of flight. The captain reported he did not radar identify any hazardous areas along his track until he reselected a lower range setting. At the twenty-five (25) mile scale, the captain observed a small area of weak returns. Upon selecting a five (5) mile scale, the display filled with cyan indicating intense to extreme rainfall rates immediately ahead of the aircraft. The captain requested an immediate turn but was unable to avoid penetrating the storm cell during the turn. Cloud heights associated with storms in the area were reported to exceed FL 450.the crew reported first entering an area of extreme precipitation at FL370 followed by severe turbulence, autopilot disengagement and subsequent loss of control after inadvertently entering the storm cell. According to data supplied from ATC video imaging (camtasia) and the digital flight data recorder (dfdr), the incident aircraft was unable to maintain an assigned altitude. The controller promptly declared and emergency and subsequenty coordinated with other sectors and to assist the incident aircraft as required. No passengers were injured; however, one flight attendant reported a minor injury. The aircraft was inspected for damage and was subsequently released into service.
As the FAA filed it
THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS DISPATCHED ALONG A 400 NM ROUTE IN A PREDICTED AREA OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. THE CAPTAIN ACCEPTED THE DISPATCHED ROUTING AS PLANNED. DURING A TIME PERIOD OF THREE (3) HOURS, ISOLATED, GENERAL AIR-MASS-TYPE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP, DISSIPATE AND RE-FORM INTO AN ORGANIZED, CHAIN OF EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS CLUSTERED ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE DISPATCHER ON DUTY STATED HE DID NOT RECOGNIZE ANY WEATHER-RELATED RISKS FOR THE REGION THE AIRCRAFT WAS INTENDING TO OPERATE. THE FLIGHTCREW REPORTED IMC CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR BOTH THE CLIMB-OUT AND INITIAL CRUISE PHASE OF FLIGHT CAUSING THE FLIGHTCREW TO RELY ON THE USE OF AIRBORNE RADAR FOR WEATHER AVOIDANCE. A DIRECT ROUTING WAS REQUESTED BY THE FLIGHTCREW FOR WEATHER ALONG THEIR PLANNED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE CAPTAIN REPORTED HE DID NOT RADAR IDENTIFY ANY HAZARDOUS AREAS ALONG HIS TRACK UNTIL HE RESELECTED A LOWER RANGE SETTING. AT THE TWENTY-FIVE (25) MILE SCALE, THE CAPTAIN OBSERVED A SMALL AREA OF WEAK RETURNS. UPON SELECTING A FIVE (5) MILE SCALE, THE DISPLAY FILLED WITH CYAN INDICATING INTENSE TO EXTREME RAINFALL RATES IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE CAPTAIN REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE TURN BUT WAS UNABLE TO AVOID PENETRATING THE STORM CELL DURING THE TURN. CLOUD HEIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH STORMS IN THE AREA WERE REPORTED TO EXCEED FL 450.THE CREW REPORTED FIRST ENTERING AN AREA OF EXTREME PRECIPITATION AT FL370 FOLLOWED BY SEVERE TURBULENCE, AUTOPILOT DISENGAGEMENT AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF CONTROL AFTER INADVERTENTLY ENTERING THE STORM CELL. ACCORDING TO DATA SUPPLIED FROM ATC VIDEO IMAGING (CAMTASIA) AND THE DIGITAL FLIGHT DATA RECORDER (DFDR), THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN AN ASSIGNED ALTITUDE. THE CONTROLLER PROMPTLY DECLARED AND EMERGENCY AND SUBSEQUENTY COORDINATED WITH OTHER SECTORS AND TO ASSIST THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT AS REQUIRED. NO PASSENGERS WERE INJURED; HOWEVER, ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT REPORTED A MINOR INJURY.THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY RELEASED INTO SERVICE.