Narrative:

On a flight from cvg to ord, I was the only flight attendant with 41 passenger. We were on final and the captain made his prepare for landing PA, I did my PA and compliance checks. I was in the aft portion of the aircraft securing the galley when I felt the little jolt you feel right about the time you're going to hit wake turbulence. Being a well seasoned flight attendant on commuter type aircraft I knew what was about to happen so I held on with both hands to the galley tray. The aircraft rolled to the about 45 degrees and the crew brought it back wings level immediately followed by a violent jolt. If I had not been hanging on, I would have been thrown about much worse than I was. This is very dangerous for us because of all the sharp edges in the galley and the stairs that are built into the left hand aft entry door. Also, the crew does not call to see if you're ok -- understandable, because they are too busy at this point. So, if we were to become incapacitated they would never know because one, we are the only crew member and two, the passenger would never be able to operate the interphone. A flight attendant on a regional aircraft, in and out of O'hare 4 or 5 times is no stranger to wake turbulence. It can take yrs before they finally learn to identify when it's coming by the little jolt that precedes it. Flight attendants should either be made aware of the characteristics of wake turbulence as part of their training. Or another solution would be to have the flight attendant prepare to land earlier when flying into a major airport with this type of traffic. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that this incident occurred during VMC. She reiterated her concerns about common encounters with wake turbulence at busy airports. Reporter believes that the frequent occurrence gives just cause for better constructed galleys and cabin interiors to prevent serious injury to flight attendants who are thrown about during encounters with turbulence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A REGIONAL CARRIER FLT ATTENDANT RPTS ABOUT THE ACFT'S WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER WHILE ON APCH INTO ORD. THE AT42 ROLLED 45 DEGS AND THEN VIOLENTLY JOLTED AFTER THE FLC BROUGHT IT BACK TO WINGS LEVEL. THE RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT THE FLC WORKLOAD WHILE ON APCH INTO HIGH TFC DENSITY ARPTS PREVENTS THEM FROM CHKING ON THE CABIN OCCUPANTS FOLLOWING A WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER, AND THAT THE PAX WOULD BE UNABLE TO CONTACT THE CREW IN THE EVENT THAT THE SINGLE FLT ATTENDANT ON THIS ACFT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM CVG TO ORD, I WAS THE ONLY FLT ATTENDANT WITH 41 PAX. WE WERE ON FINAL AND THE CAPT MADE HIS PREPARE FOR LNDG PA, I DID MY PA AND COMPLIANCE CHKS. I WAS IN THE AFT PORTION OF THE ACFT SECURING THE GALLEY WHEN I FELT THE LITTLE JOLT YOU FEEL RIGHT ABOUT THE TIME YOU'RE GOING TO HIT WAKE TURB. BEING A WELL SEASONED FLT ATTENDANT ON COMMUTER TYPE ACFT I KNEW WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN SO I HELD ON WITH BOTH HANDS TO THE GALLEY TRAY. THE ACFT ROLLED TO THE ABOUT 45 DEGS AND THE CREW BROUGHT IT BACK WINGS LEVEL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A VIOLENT JOLT. IF I HAD NOT BEEN HANGING ON, I WOULD HAVE BEEN THROWN ABOUT MUCH WORSE THAN I WAS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR US BECAUSE OF ALL THE SHARP EDGES IN THE GALLEY AND THE STAIRS THAT ARE BUILT INTO THE L HAND AFT ENTRY DOOR. ALSO, THE CREW DOES NOT CALL TO SEE IF YOU'RE OK -- UNDERSTANDABLE, BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO BUSY AT THIS POINT. SO, IF WE WERE TO BECOME INCAPACITATED THEY WOULD NEVER KNOW BECAUSE ONE, WE ARE THE ONLY CREW MEMBER AND TWO, THE PAX WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE INTERPHONE. A FLT ATTENDANT ON A REGIONAL ACFT, IN AND OUT OF O'HARE 4 OR 5 TIMES IS NO STRANGER TO WAKE TURB. IT CAN TAKE YRS BEFORE THEY FINALLY LEARN TO IDENT WHEN IT'S COMING BY THE LITTLE JOLT THAT PRECEDES IT. FLT ATTENDANTS SHOULD EITHER BE MADE AWARE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WAKE TURB AS PART OF THEIR TRAINING. OR ANOTHER SOLUTION WOULD BE TO HAVE THE FLT ATTENDANT PREPARE TO LAND EARLIER WHEN FLYING INTO A MAJOR ARPT WITH THIS TYPE OF TFC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING VMC. SHE REITERATED HER CONCERNS ABOUT COMMON ENCOUNTERS WITH WAKE TURB AT BUSY ARPTS. RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE FREQUENT OCCURRENCE GIVES JUST CAUSE FOR BETTER CONSTRUCTED GALLEYS AND CABIN INTERIORS TO PREVENT SERIOUS INJURY TO FLT ATTENDANTS WHO ARE THROWN ABOUT DURING ENCOUNTERS WITH TURB.

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.