Cabin attendants thrown from seats when widebody transport encounters severe turbulence.

Attributes
ACN	240176
Time
Date	199305
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iai
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic enroute : pacific enroute airway : b595
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	240176
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flying in level flight at FL370, operations normal. No WX showing on radar. Very sudden exposure to severe turbulence. Mach varied from .72 to .89 in less than 30 seconds. Altitude uncontrollable plus or minus 500 ft. Episode lasted approximately 2 mins. Flight attendants reported coming out of their seats and landing on floor. No serious injury. No passenger complaint of discomfort or injury. Suggestion: flight attendants tend to become complacent on long night time/early morning flts, rest on jump seats without seat belts -- exposes them to unexpected turbulence injury. Perhaps far revision to require flight attendants to be in seats with belts fastened when not performing duties would be in order (similar to flight deck crew requirements).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANTS THROWN FROM SEATS WHEN WDB ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURB.

Narrative: FLYING IN LEVEL FLT AT FL370, OPS NORMAL. NO WX SHOWING ON RADAR. VERY SUDDEN EXPOSURE TO SEVERE TURB. MACH VARIED FROM .72 TO .89 IN LESS THAN 30 SECONDS. ALT UNCTLABLE PLUS OR MINUS 500 FT. EPISODE LASTED APPROX 2 MINS. FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED COMING OUT OF THEIR SEATS AND LNDG ON FLOOR. NO SERIOUS INJURY. NO PAX COMPLAINT OF DISCOMFORT OR INJURY. SUGGESTION: FLT ATTENDANTS TEND TO BECOME COMPLACENT ON LONG NIGHT TIME/EARLY MORNING FLTS, REST ON JUMP SEATS WITHOUT SEAT BELTS -- EXPOSES THEM TO UNEXPECTED TURB INJURY. PERHAPS FAR REVISION TO REQUIRE FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE IN SEATS WITH BELTS FASTENED WHEN NOT PERFORMING DUTIES WOULD BE IN ORDER (SIMILAR TO FLT DECK CREW REQUIREMENTS).

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.