Narrative:

Clear air turbulence occurred without warning -- aircraft jerked violently from left to right, suddenly ascended, then dropped with such force that flight attendants were thrown about and to floor. Galley items flew around area as did items on first class credenza in cabin. Some glass breakage, food all over and general disorder. No passenger in first class injured. I held on to galley 'hand hold' during event being thrashed about severely, then slammed to floor, fortunately landing on my feet. Suffered severe body whiplash with muscle spasms, strains, etc. My thoughts about safety for flight attendants would be to have more 'hand holds' located in cabin. Perhaps the aisle seat back/sides could be fitted with 'hand holds' for us to use in turbulence -- if not every aisle seat, every-other aisle seat (top). This would assist us in self protection and allow us to perhaps reach jump seats. Had it not been for the galley 'hand hold' I was able to grab, more severe injury would have happened to me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that every flight attendant onboard the aircraft was injured to some extent. They all were able to walk off the aircraft, but had back injuries and bruises as well as the whiplash effect reporter mentions. She has been flying for 38 yrs and has never experienced anything quite as severe as this encounter. Reporter really wants to follow up with company on the idea of more hand holds throughout the cabin. She was near a jump seat but could not get to it without releasing her hold since there were no others.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING AN A300 FLT IN WHICH CLR AIR TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED. CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE THROWN SIDE TO SIDE, AIRBORNE AND SLAMMED TO THE FLOOR. FOOD WAS ALSO THROWN AROUND AND THERE WAS GLASS BREAKAGE. RPTR WAS ABLE TO HANG ONTO THE HAND HOLD TO MINIMIZE INJURY.

Narrative: CLR AIR TURB OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING -- ACFT JERKED VIOLENTLY FROM L TO R, SUDDENLY ASCENDED, THEN DROPPED WITH SUCH FORCE THAT FLT ATTENDANTS WERE THROWN ABOUT AND TO FLOOR. GALLEY ITEMS FLEW AROUND AREA AS DID ITEMS ON FIRST CLASS CREDENZA IN CABIN. SOME GLASS BREAKAGE, FOOD ALL OVER AND GENERAL DISORDER. NO PAX IN FIRST CLASS INJURED. I HELD ON TO GALLEY 'HAND HOLD' DURING EVENT BEING THRASHED ABOUT SEVERELY, THEN SLAMMED TO FLOOR, FORTUNATELY LNDG ON MY FEET. SUFFERED SEVERE BODY WHIPLASH WITH MUSCLE SPASMS, STRAINS, ETC. MY THOUGHTS ABOUT SAFETY FOR FLT ATTENDANTS WOULD BE TO HAVE MORE 'HAND HOLDS' LOCATED IN CABIN. PERHAPS THE AISLE SEAT BACK/SIDES COULD BE FITTED WITH 'HAND HOLDS' FOR US TO USE IN TURB -- IF NOT EVERY AISLE SEAT, EVERY-OTHER AISLE SEAT (TOP). THIS WOULD ASSIST US IN SELF PROTECTION AND ALLOW US TO PERHAPS REACH JUMP SEATS. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE GALLEY 'HAND HOLD' I WAS ABLE TO GRAB, MORE SEVERE INJURY WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT EVERY FLT ATTENDANT ONBOARD THE ACFT WAS INJURED TO SOME EXTENT. THEY ALL WERE ABLE TO WALK OFF THE ACFT, BUT HAD BACK INJURIES AND BRUISES AS WELL AS THE WHIPLASH EFFECT RPTR MENTIONS. SHE HAS BEEN FLYING FOR 38 YRS AND HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING QUITE AS SEVERE AS THIS ENCOUNTER. RPTR REALLY WANTS TO FOLLOW UP WITH COMPANY ON THE IDEA OF MORE HAND HOLDS THROUGHOUT THE CABIN. SHE WAS NEAR A JUMP SEAT BUT COULD NOT GET TO IT WITHOUT RELEASING HER HOLD SINCE THERE WERE NO OTHERS.

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.