Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 176.98
Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter
General Physical Injury / Incapacitation
Procedure; Environment - Non Weather Related
While at FL340 in level flight; during smooth; night; VMC conditions; we encountered wake from a crossing jet at FL350. We received one solid jolt and returned to smooth flight. We immediately turned on the seatbelt sign. The First Officer called back to the cabin to check on crew. Nobody answered on the first call; and on the second call about 30 seconds later the Purser answered. She stated she may have fell or bumped into something; she wasn't sure just what happened; and her left shoulder hurt. I asked if I should call Medlink or not and she said she wanted to wait a while and see how she felt. There were no other reports of turbulence in the immediate area. About a minute after the event; we got an automated report on the printer advising us we were near a light turbulence event of .15. I believe that our own jet was the originator of that report.  I checked in on the Purser about 30 minutes later and asked her about how she felt. She stated she felt ok and would be able to make the return flight; but she was sore. I told her I was advising Dispatch and going to fill out a [report]. Dispatch asked if she wanted to be checked out by EMS before [the return flight] and she said yes. EMS met us at the gate where they evaluated her. They said the only thing they could do for her was give her some muscle relaxers; but she would have to go with them for that treatment.  [The Purser] was worried about canceling the outbound flight and refused that treatment until I told her that Scheduling was deadheading in a replacement just in case. She then agreed to go with EMS for treatment.
We were just given a new route clearance to avoid weather near the front range; in the turn ATC notified us of heavy traffic 1;000 feet above and passing at our 12 o'clock position. I observed the traffic passing slightly from our left to right and opposite direction. Approximately 30 sec to 1 minute after passing the traffic we encountered a single jolt; of moderate intensity. We did not encounter any rolling tendency and we believe that it was the result of the oncoming traffic's wake turbulence.
A319 flight crew reported encountering wake turbulence in cruise flight at FL340 from opposite direction heavy jet that resulted in minor injury to a Flight Attendant.