An S80 cabin team is injured when the flight runs into severe turbulence on descent into phl, PA.

Attributes
ACN	523535
Time
Date	200108
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : n90.tracon
State Reference	NY
Environment
Weather Elements	Rain Turbulence Thunderstorm
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 2
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 29 flight attendant time total : 29 flight attendant time type : 80
ASRS Report	523535
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Events
Anomaly	cabin event other inflight encounter : turbulence non adherence other
Independent Detector	other other : 1-2-3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

On approach into phl, we hit a couple of moderate turbulence jolts. I sat down on the floor. Then we hit 2-3 severe turbulence jolts. Passenger grabbed my arms. I came up off the floor 8-10 inches. Passenger made screams/noise of surprise. 1 passenger was in first class lavatory. I crawled to lavatory and she came out apparently alright. I then went through the aircraft checking all other passenger. All passenger were ok and fastened in. When I got to the aft galley area, I witnessed debris all over the floor and a passenger helping #2 flight attendant up off the floor and getting her seated. The #4 flight attendant was calling the cockpit to tell them and she made a PA to the passenger to stay seated. She was laying on the floor at the galley area of the l-hand emergency exit. She said she hit her head and her tailbone hurt. I got her into a seat. 4 passenger volunteered to help care for them. #2 flight attendant had an injured foot. I went back through the cabin rechking passenger. And I made a PA requesting if there were any flight attendants traveling and explained to passenger we had 2 injured flight attendants. No traveling flight attendants on board. Before making PA, I talked to cockpit and told them we needed an ambulance and the degree to which flight attendants were injured and no passenger were injured. I then set about to clean up galley areas so we could land. Carts were misaligned in the cart housing area (a kilter). I also handed out paper towels to those that needed them because of drink spills. We landed uneventfully but it took us quite a while to get in to the gate (5-10 mins). Ambulance/emt's arrived to take flight attendants off. Both flight attendants were released from the hospital and we all deadheaded home the next day. #2 and #4 flight attendants went to air carrier medical after arriving. Turbulence is a fact of life in air travel. I do not know how this could have been prevented. All I know is when I feel pretty good jolts, I situation/squat on the floor till I feel it's over. I'd rather look ridiculous sitting on the floor than hit the ceiling as the other flight attendants did. One of the flight attendants was even sitting in a passenger seat when incident happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN S80 CABIN TEAM IS INJURED WHEN THE FLT RUNS INTO SEVERE TURB ON DSCNT INTO PHL, PA.

Narrative: ON APCH INTO PHL, WE HIT A COUPLE OF MODERATE TURB JOLTS. I SAT DOWN ON THE FLOOR. THEN WE HIT 2-3 SEVERE TURB JOLTS. PAX GRABBED MY ARMS. I CAME UP OFF THE FLOOR 8-10 INCHES. PAX MADE SCREAMS/NOISE OF SURPRISE. 1 PAX WAS IN FIRST CLASS LAVATORY. I CRAWLED TO LAVATORY AND SHE CAME OUT APPARENTLY ALRIGHT. I THEN WENT THROUGH THE ACFT CHKING ALL OTHER PAX. ALL PAX WERE OK AND FASTENED IN. WHEN I GOT TO THE AFT GALLEY AREA, I WITNESSED DEBRIS ALL OVER THE FLOOR AND A PAX HELPING #2 FLT ATTENDANT UP OFF THE FLOOR AND GETTING HER SEATED. THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT WAS CALLING THE COCKPIT TO TELL THEM AND SHE MADE A PA TO THE PAX TO STAY SEATED. SHE WAS LAYING ON THE FLOOR AT THE GALLEY AREA OF THE L-HAND EMER EXIT. SHE SAID SHE HIT HER HEAD AND HER TAILBONE HURT. I GOT HER INTO A SEAT. 4 PAX VOLUNTEERED TO HELP CARE FOR THEM. #2 FLT ATTENDANT HAD AN INJURED FOOT. I WENT BACK THROUGH THE CABIN RECHKING PAX. AND I MADE A PA REQUESTING IF THERE WERE ANY FLT ATTENDANTS TRAVELING AND EXPLAINED TO PAX WE HAD 2 INJURED FLT ATTENDANTS. NO TRAVELING FLT ATTENDANTS ON BOARD. BEFORE MAKING PA, I TALKED TO COCKPIT AND TOLD THEM WE NEEDED AN AMBULANCE AND THE DEGREE TO WHICH FLT ATTENDANTS WERE INJURED AND NO PAX WERE INJURED. I THEN SET ABOUT TO CLEAN UP GALLEY AREAS SO WE COULD LAND. CARTS WERE MISALIGNED IN THE CART HOUSING AREA (A KILTER). I ALSO HANDED OUT PAPER TOWELS TO THOSE THAT NEEDED THEM BECAUSE OF DRINK SPILLS. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY BUT IT TOOK US QUITE A WHILE TO GET IN TO THE GATE (5-10 MINS). AMBULANCE/EMT'S ARRIVED TO TAKE FLT ATTENDANTS OFF. BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS WERE RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL AND WE ALL DEADHEADED HOME THE NEXT DAY. #2 AND #4 FLT ATTENDANTS WENT TO ACR MEDICAL AFTER ARRIVING. TURB IS A FACT OF LIFE IN AIR TRAVEL. I DO NOT KNOW HOW THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. ALL I KNOW IS WHEN I FEEL PRETTY GOOD JOLTS, I SIT/SQUAT ON THE FLOOR TILL I FEEL IT'S OVER. I'D RATHER LOOK RIDICULOUS SITTING ON THE FLOOR THAN HIT THE CEILING AS THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS DID. ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS WAS EVEN SITTING IN A PAX SEAT WHEN INCIDENT HAPPENED.

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.