Narrative:

After takeoff, the climb sounded unusual. Climb, hold, climb, hold. Not the usual hold pattern. It sounded as if something was wrong. As I was about to call the cockpit, captain called and told me he had declared an emergency, we were landing at jfk. He said not to evacuate unless we needed to and to look out for smoke/fire in cabin. We had less than 10 mins to landing. No time to 'prepare cabin.' he said he would make an announcement to passenger. He would use our signal to evacuate (previously discussed at briefing). I called all flight attendants and informed them. After captain spoke to passenger, I got on PA, asked passenger to put seat forward, seat belts low and tight, all carry-ONS under seat in front, no smoking. Myself and the aft 2 flight attendants walked through cabin quickly for compliance check and to reassure all passenger. We took our jumpseats and landed a min after that, with no incident. Ground emergency personnel met our flight and gave us the all clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE RPTED THAT THE DEP FROM LGA SOUNDED UNUSUAL. THE CAPT CALLED HER TO ISSUE INSTRUCTIONS AFTER HE HAD DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO JFK.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF, THE CLB SOUNDED UNUSUAL. CLB, HOLD, CLB, HOLD. NOT THE USUAL HOLD PATTERN. IT SOUNDED AS IF SOMETHING WAS WRONG. AS I WAS ABOUT TO CALL THE COCKPIT, CAPT CALLED AND TOLD ME HE HAD DECLARED AN EMER, WE WERE LNDG AT JFK. HE SAID NOT TO EVACUATE UNLESS WE NEEDED TO AND TO LOOK OUT FOR SMOKE/FIRE IN CABIN. WE HAD LESS THAN 10 MINS TO LNDG. NO TIME TO 'PREPARE CABIN.' HE SAID HE WOULD MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO PAX. HE WOULD USE OUR SIGNAL TO EVACUATE (PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED AT BRIEFING). I CALLED ALL FLT ATTENDANTS AND INFORMED THEM. AFTER CAPT SPOKE TO PAX, I GOT ON PA, ASKED PAX TO PUT SEAT FORWARD, SEAT BELTS LOW AND TIGHT, ALL CARRY-ONS UNDER SEAT IN FRONT, NO SMOKING. MYSELF AND THE AFT 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WALKED THROUGH CABIN QUICKLY FOR COMPLIANCE CHK AND TO REASSURE ALL PAX. WE TOOK OUR JUMPSEATS AND LANDED A MIN AFTER THAT, WITH NO INCIDENT. GND EMER PERSONNEL MET OUR FLT AND GAVE US THE ALL CLR.

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.