Narrative:

Without any indication of a possible or probable rough landing, such as bad WX or obvious wind conditions, warning of any mechanical problems from cockpit, the following occurred: I was seated in forward jump seat with lap belt and shoulder harness awaiting landing. (Note: this jump seat is almost directly above location of nose gear.) the aircraft touched down with a hard slam as if it had dropped down instead of gliding in. As stated above, there was no indication or warning to expect such a landing. We are instructed to use the shoulder harness attached to lap belt and secure it tightly. When we hit the ground my head snapped forward and down causing a whiplash (cervical sprain) to my neck. My doctor feels that had I not been wearing the shoulder harness, I probably would not have been injured so severely. In other words, my upper body would have been able to flop forward somewhat to compensate for the shock of the hard landing. I asked the captain what happened -- why we landed that way. He denied that there was anything unusual, but behaved skittishly regarding the occurrence. The flight attendant seated next to me during the occurrence was a male of strong build, his lower back was hurt, though he did not formally report it. This was by far the hardest landing of all my 13 yrs of flying. The rest of the cabin crew agreed on that sentiment. My recommendation is that the shoulder strap be eliminated because they cause injury instead of prevent them. Especially because there is more chances for hard lndgs than there are for crashes. In a car, a shoulder strap keeps your upper body from hitting something in front of you, but on this aircraft there is nothing to hit your head on even if your body flopped all the way forward. The closet door is the only thing in front of you, and it's about 20 inches, give or take, from your knees while seated in jump seat. I have been off work, not able to return to flying because of physical limitations for 6 weeks so far with a probability of 3 more weeks of disablement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON LNDG ON BOARD MD80S, HARD LNDG RESULTED IN A FLT ATTENDANT INJURY, WHILE STRAPPED IN TO FORWARD JUMP SEAT.

Narrative: WITHOUT ANY INDICATION OF A POSSIBLE OR PROBABLE ROUGH LNDG, SUCH AS BAD WX OR OBVIOUS WIND CONDITIONS, WARNING OF ANY MECHANICAL PROBS FROM COCKPIT, THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED: I WAS SEATED IN FORWARD JUMP SEAT WITH LAP BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS AWAITING LNDG. (NOTE: THIS JUMP SEAT IS ALMOST DIRECTLY ABOVE LOCATION OF NOSE GEAR.) THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH A HARD SLAM AS IF IT HAD DROPPED DOWN INSTEAD OF GLIDING IN. AS STATED ABOVE, THERE WAS NO INDICATION OR WARNING TO EXPECT SUCH A LNDG. WE ARE INSTRUCTED TO USE THE SHOULDER HARNESS ATTACHED TO LAP BELT AND SECURE IT TIGHTLY. WHEN WE HIT THE GND MY HEAD SNAPPED FORWARD AND DOWN CAUSING A WHIPLASH (CERVICAL SPRAIN) TO MY NECK. MY DOCTOR FEELS THAT HAD I NOT BEEN WEARING THE SHOULDER HARNESS, I PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INJURED SO SEVERELY. IN OTHER WORDS, MY UPPER BODY WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FLOP FORWARD SOMEWHAT TO COMPENSATE FOR THE SHOCK OF THE HARD LNDG. I ASKED THE CAPT WHAT HAPPENED -- WHY WE LANDED THAT WAY. HE DENIED THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING UNUSUAL, BUT BEHAVED SKITTISHLY REGARDING THE OCCURRENCE. THE FLT ATTENDANT SEATED NEXT TO ME DURING THE OCCURRENCE WAS A MALE OF STRONG BUILD, HIS LOWER BACK WAS HURT, THOUGH HE DID NOT FORMALLY RPT IT. THIS WAS BY FAR THE HARDEST LNDG OF ALL MY 13 YRS OF FLYING. THE REST OF THE CABIN CREW AGREED ON THAT SENTIMENT. MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE SHOULDER STRAP BE ELIMINATED BECAUSE THEY CAUSE INJURY INSTEAD OF PREVENT THEM. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THERE IS MORE CHANCES FOR HARD LNDGS THAN THERE ARE FOR CRASHES. IN A CAR, A SHOULDER STRAP KEEPS YOUR UPPER BODY FROM HITTING SOMETHING IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT ON THIS ACFT THERE IS NOTHING TO HIT YOUR HEAD ON EVEN IF YOUR BODY FLOPPED ALL THE WAY FORWARD. THE CLOSET DOOR IS THE ONLY THING IN FRONT OF YOU, AND IT'S ABOUT 20 INCHES, GIVE OR TAKE, FROM YOUR KNEES WHILE SEATED IN JUMP SEAT. I HAVE BEEN OFF WORK, NOT ABLE TO RETURN TO FLYING BECAUSE OF PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS FOR 6 WKS SO FAR WITH A PROBABILITY OF 3 MORE WKS OF DISABLEMENT.

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