A300 crew encountered severe turbulence descending into MMMX.

Attributes
ACN	526050
Time
Date	200109
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mmmx.tracon
State Reference	FO
Environment
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mmmx.tracon artcc : zjx.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 13 flight attendant time total : 13
ASRS Report	526050
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 1,5,6,7,8,9,10,11
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Company Cabin Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Clear air turbulence is unforeseen, I only wish our passenger would take the seat belt sign seriously. Flight attendants are trained for safety. We are also taught not to act as police officers! I made repeated announcements for passenger to observe the seat belt sign. Mexico city approach is normally bumpy and is felt more when aircraft is light weight, and still there was a 2 yr old child playing in the aisle. Parents feel it is not necessary to restrain their children. It's difficult to visually assure overweight passenger are secured without seeming insensitive. It's a no win situation. When we hit severe turbulence I was standing in first class area between cockpit door and first class lavatory. Flight attendant #5 was standing forward facing in galley area in front storage compartments. Flight attendant #3 was by 1L jump seat. I tried holding on to hand hold by the galley oven and first class lavatory door hoping not to hit ceiling, using my knees as shock absorbers trying to go along with the motion of the aircraft up and down. Flight attendant #5 held herself on hand hold of storage compartment in galley with the other hand up on ceiling as service items were flying over her head. She was fortunate not to be hit with items. She experienced back muscle strain. I noticed her knees were in locked position as she tried not to hit ceiling. Flight attendant #3 was able to jump in to jump seat 1R and secure herself. After cabin was still we walked through cabin to assess conditions. All passenger with beverages lost their beverages. The few with trays, lost their trays. These items flew around and spilled. Fortunately the mother with baby in first class had seat belt fastened and had baby tight in arms. We found a passenger in xxd had hit ceiling compartment, cracked his head. He obviously removed his seat belt (perhaps because he was a bit overweight and wasn't comfortable (my guess)). In the back galley flight attendant #7 was slammed around as flight attendant #4 held or try to hold her down with his foot. Flight attendant #4 was able to strap in into 4R jump seat. #2 flight attendant experienced back muscle strain. Flight attendant #6 was able to get into seat.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 CREW ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB DSNDING INTO MMMX.

Narrative: CLR AIR TURB IS UNFORESEEN, I ONLY WISH OUR PAX WOULD TAKE THE SEAT BELT SIGN SERIOUSLY. FLT ATTENDANTS ARE TRAINED FOR SAFETY. WE ARE ALSO TAUGHT NOT TO ACT AS POLICE OFFICERS! I MADE REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR PAX TO OBSERVE THE SEAT BELT SIGN. MEXICO CITY APCH IS NORMALLY BUMPY AND IS FELT MORE WHEN ACFT IS LIGHT WT, AND STILL THERE WAS A 2 YR OLD CHILD PLAYING IN THE AISLE. PARENTS FEEL IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO RESTRAIN THEIR CHILDREN. IT'S DIFFICULT TO VISUALLY ASSURE OVERWT PAX ARE SECURED WITHOUT SEEMING INSENSITIVE. IT'S A NO WIN SIT. WHEN WE HIT SEVERE TURB I WAS STANDING IN FIRST CLASS AREA BTWN COCKPIT DOOR AND FIRST CLASS LAVATORY. FLT ATTENDANT #5 WAS STANDING FORWARD FACING IN GALLEY AREA IN FRONT STORAGE COMPARTMENTS. FLT ATTENDANT #3 WAS BY 1L JUMP SEAT. I TRIED HOLDING ON TO HAND HOLD BY THE GALLEY OVEN AND FIRST CLASS LAVATORY DOOR HOPING NOT TO HIT CEILING, USING MY KNEES AS SHOCK ABSORBERS TRYING TO GO ALONG WITH THE MOTION OF THE ACFT UP AND DOWN. FLT ATTENDANT #5 HELD HERSELF ON HAND HOLD OF STORAGE COMPARTMENT IN GALLEY WITH THE OTHER HAND UP ON CEILING AS SVC ITEMS WERE FLYING OVER HER HEAD. SHE WAS FORTUNATE NOT TO BE HIT WITH ITEMS. SHE EXPERIENCED BACK MUSCLE STRAIN. I NOTICED HER KNEES WERE IN LOCKED POS AS SHE TRIED NOT TO HIT CEILING. FLT ATTENDANT #3 WAS ABLE TO JUMP IN TO JUMP SEAT 1R AND SECURE HERSELF. AFTER CABIN WAS STILL WE WALKED THROUGH CABIN TO ASSESS CONDITIONS. ALL PAX WITH BEVERAGES LOST THEIR BEVERAGES. THE FEW WITH TRAYS, LOST THEIR TRAYS. THESE ITEMS FLEW AROUND AND SPILLED. FORTUNATELY THE MOTHER WITH BABY IN FIRST CLASS HAD SEAT BELT FASTENED AND HAD BABY TIGHT IN ARMS. WE FOUND A PAX IN XXD HAD HIT CEILING COMPARTMENT, CRACKED HIS HEAD. HE OBVIOUSLY REMOVED HIS SEAT BELT (PERHAPS BECAUSE HE WAS A BIT OVERWT AND WASN'T COMFORTABLE (MY GUESS)). IN THE BACK GALLEY FLT ATTENDANT #7 WAS SLAMMED AROUND AS FLT ATTENDANT #4 HELD OR TRY TO HOLD HER DOWN WITH HIS FOOT. FLT ATTENDANT #4 WAS ABLE TO STRAP IN INTO 4R JUMP SEAT. #2 FLT ATTENDANT EXPERIENCED BACK MUSCLE STRAIN. FLT ATTENDANT #6 WAS ABLE TO GET INTO SEAT.

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.