Narrative:

On may/xx/00, around XA30 and XB00, after completing the beverage service, the WX was cloudy and rainy. After taking the pick-up cart to the first class galley, and between walking at the mid-point of the cabin, we experienced a little turbulence. Then flight attendant #1 came over PA to inform flight attendants to take their jump seats. As I got close to the aft of the aircraft, I noticed the beverage cart laying on the floor. Flight attendant #2 and passenger seated xd, tried to pick up cart. At this point, I was standing near the aft galley when the aircraft went through severe turbulence, which at the time I tried to brace for, not a good idea, because at this point the aircraft dropped again and I landed on the ceiling of the aircraft twice. I can only remember seeing flight attendant #2 flying in the air between the lavatory doors. At this time, coffee splattered my whole entire back. This incident lasted only 30 seconds, but I stood in disbelief, because it seemed like a scene from a movie. The aircraft was in circular motion. In all my 10 yrs of flying, I've never experienced anything like this. It changed my way of thinking of flying in a different aspect: 1) because we should be taught to leave the cart and take the closest seat and 2) because standing right near the beverage cart, through severe turbulence, you can't do anything. I will always keep myself totally alert of any situation like this. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that they were 1 1/2 hours out of san juan when the turbulence occurred. All the flight attendants were hurt and the passenger, who tried to help pick up the knocked over cart, broke his fingers. The reporter was off work for 3 months with a strained cervical. The flight attendants tried to complete their meal service in a state of shock. An ambulance met the flight and took the flight attendants to a hospital. The captain finally came on the PA after everything had happened and explained to everyone to remain seated until he said it was safe to get up. The reporter credits the fact that there was only 1 passenger injury because all the rest of the passenger had their seat belts on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B727-200, SJU-PHL. ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB, PLANE IN CIRCULAR MOTION. ALL CABIN ATTENDANTS, 1 PAX INJURED. AMBULANCE TOOK CREW TO HOSPITAL.

Narrative: ON MAY/XX/00, AROUND XA30 AND XB00, AFTER COMPLETING THE BEVERAGE SVC, THE WX WAS CLOUDY AND RAINY. AFTER TAKING THE PICK-UP CART TO THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY, AND BTWN WALKING AT THE MID-POINT OF THE CABIN, WE EXPERIENCED A LITTLE TURB. THEN FLT ATTENDANT #1 CAME OVER PA TO INFORM FLT ATTENDANTS TO TAKE THEIR JUMP SEATS. AS I GOT CLOSE TO THE AFT OF THE ACFT, I NOTICED THE BEVERAGE CART LAYING ON THE FLOOR. FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND PAX SEATED XD, TRIED TO PICK UP CART. AT THIS POINT, I WAS STANDING NEAR THE AFT GALLEY WHEN THE ACFT WENT THROUGH SEVERE TURB, WHICH AT THE TIME I TRIED TO BRACE FOR, NOT A GOOD IDEA, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT THE ACFT DROPPED AGAIN AND I LANDED ON THE CEILING OF THE ACFT TWICE. I CAN ONLY REMEMBER SEEING FLT ATTENDANT #2 FLYING IN THE AIR BTWN THE LAVATORY DOORS. AT THIS TIME, COFFEE SPLATTERED MY WHOLE ENTIRE BACK. THIS INCIDENT LASTED ONLY 30 SECONDS, BUT I STOOD IN DISBELIEF, BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE A SCENE FROM A MOVIE. THE ACFT WAS IN CIRCULAR MOTION. IN ALL MY 10 YRS OF FLYING, I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. IT CHANGED MY WAY OF THINKING OF FLYING IN A DIFFERENT ASPECT: 1) BECAUSE WE SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO LEAVE THE CART AND TAKE THE CLOSEST SEAT AND 2) BECAUSE STANDING RIGHT NEAR THE BEVERAGE CART, THROUGH SEVERE TURB, YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING. I WILL ALWAYS KEEP MYSELF TOTALLY ALERT OF ANY SIT LIKE THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THEY WERE 1 1/2 HRS OUT OF SAN JUAN WHEN THE TURB OCCURRED. ALL THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE HURT AND THE PAX, WHO TRIED TO HELP PICK UP THE KNOCKED OVER CART, BROKE HIS FINGERS. THE RPTR WAS OFF WORK FOR 3 MONTHS WITH A STRAINED CERVICAL. THE FLT ATTENDANTS TRIED TO COMPLETE THEIR MEAL SVC IN A STATE OF SHOCK. AN AMBULANCE MET THE FLT AND TOOK THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO A HOSPITAL. THE CAPT FINALLY CAME ON THE PA AFTER EVERYTHING HAD HAPPENED AND EXPLAINED TO EVERYONE TO REMAIN SEATED UNTIL HE SAID IT WAS SAFE TO GET UP. THE RPTR CREDITS THE FACT THAT THERE WAS ONLY 1 PAX INJURY BECAUSE ALL THE REST OF THE PAX HAD THEIR SEAT BELTS ON.

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.