Narrative:

Less than 1 hour after takeoff, 4 flight attendants were in coach doing beverage service on one cart, and meal service on another cart. 2 meal carts had been emptied and 2 flight attendants were in the aft galley when we encountered turbulence. The other 2 flight attendants who were on the beverage cart (myself included) still in the aisle. First a hard bump, and everything jumped once or twice. Then the gravity pushed us down into a squatting position. I remember the pressure kept me from getting up to better secure the cart and/or myself. Then we lifted off the floor and the 2 of us were on the ceiling for several seconds. I remember looking down onto a male passenger and realizing I would land on him. With another hard thrust I was thrown down on him and also his seat back. Another bump put me onto the floor (with a lot of food and meal trays, cups, etc). My first thought was for the flight attendant on the other end of the cart. I didn't see her and was worried the cart had landed on her (it went 5 ft up also). I saw that after she landed, she had jumped into a passenger seat and buckled in. I did as well, so as not to hit any other passenger. We had no more turbulence from this point on. Within seconds of buckling up, the first class flight attendants (2) came through coach to assess. I asked the purser if he thought it was safe to get up. He said he wanted to check the passenger so we all got up and began checking passenger. I somewhat perceived during the rough parts, that the passenger were not moving around or 'lifting' as we had. Because we were in the aisle in less than 1 hour after takeoff, thus keeping passenger in their seats, the passenger injuries were few (less than 5?). Their seat belts being on made all the difference. I was shaking very hard and hurting -- abdomen, wrist, jaw, knee, ribs, but the adrenaline kept me focused. We comforted passenger, picked up ruined trays from their laps and floor, passed out paper towels to wipe up their faces, hands, clothing, etc. Almost no one reported injuries. I only encountered 1 female, heavy set, who was sitting by a window and had hit her head on the passenger service unit above her. She complained of a hurt neck. I don't know how clear air turbulence can be detected or prevented. I feel our cockpit crew did everything they could to correct. 5 crew members were seen at the emergency room that night (we had turned around and returned to mia). 2-3 passenger were seen at a different emergency room. Supplemental information from acn 379486: frequency: ZMA. Altitude: FL330. Location: 200 mi sse mia. WX approximately 200 NM from mia south of nau. I was flying the leg and we were going between 2 cells. Encountered severe air turbulence lasting about 10 seconds. Captain checked with the flight attendants to assess the situation. The captain declared a medical emergency and returned to mia. The sky conditions at the time were high cirrus with mostly rain with a few individual cells.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURB WHILE ENRTE FROM MIA TO PAP. FO FLEW BTWN 2 TSTM CELLS. CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE UP IN THE AISLES PROVIDING A MEAL SVC TO THE PAX. FLT RETURNED TO MIA WITH A MEDICAL EMER DECLARED. 5 CABIN ATTENDANTS AND 3 PAX WERE LATER SEEN AT A MIA EMER ROOM CTR.

Narrative: LESS THAN 1 HR AFTER TKOF, 4 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE IN COACH DOING BEVERAGE SVC ON ONE CART, AND MEAL SVC ON ANOTHER CART. 2 MEAL CARTS HAD BEEN EMPTIED AND 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE IN THE AFT GALLEY WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED TURB. THE OTHER 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WHO WERE ON THE BEVERAGE CART (MYSELF INCLUDED) STILL IN THE AISLE. FIRST A HARD BUMP, AND EVERYTHING JUMPED ONCE OR TWICE. THEN THE GRAVITY PUSHED US DOWN INTO A SQUATTING POS. I REMEMBER THE PRESSURE KEPT ME FROM GETTING UP TO BETTER SECURE THE CART AND/OR MYSELF. THEN WE LIFTED OFF THE FLOOR AND THE 2 OF US WERE ON THE CEILING FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. I REMEMBER LOOKING DOWN ONTO A MALE PAX AND REALIZING I WOULD LAND ON HIM. WITH ANOTHER HARD THRUST I WAS THROWN DOWN ON HIM AND ALSO HIS SEAT BACK. ANOTHER BUMP PUT ME ONTO THE FLOOR (WITH A LOT OF FOOD AND MEAL TRAYS, CUPS, ETC). MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS FOR THE FLT ATTENDANT ON THE OTHER END OF THE CART. I DIDN'T SEE HER AND WAS WORRIED THE CART HAD LANDED ON HER (IT WENT 5 FT UP ALSO). I SAW THAT AFTER SHE LANDED, SHE HAD JUMPED INTO A PAX SEAT AND BUCKLED IN. I DID AS WELL, SO AS NOT TO HIT ANY OTHER PAX. WE HAD NO MORE TURB FROM THIS POINT ON. WITHIN SECONDS OF BUCKLING UP, THE FIRST CLASS FLT ATTENDANTS (2) CAME THROUGH COACH TO ASSESS. I ASKED THE PURSER IF HE THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO GET UP. HE SAID HE WANTED TO CHK THE PAX SO WE ALL GOT UP AND BEGAN CHKING PAX. I SOMEWHAT PERCEIVED DURING THE ROUGH PARTS, THAT THE PAX WERE NOT MOVING AROUND OR 'LIFTING' AS WE HAD. BECAUSE WE WERE IN THE AISLE IN LESS THAN 1 HR AFTER TKOF, THUS KEEPING PAX IN THEIR SEATS, THE PAX INJURIES WERE FEW (LESS THAN 5?). THEIR SEAT BELTS BEING ON MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. I WAS SHAKING VERY HARD AND HURTING -- ABDOMEN, WRIST, JAW, KNEE, RIBS, BUT THE ADRENALINE KEPT ME FOCUSED. WE COMFORTED PAX, PICKED UP RUINED TRAYS FROM THEIR LAPS AND FLOOR, PASSED OUT PAPER TOWELS TO WIPE UP THEIR FACES, HANDS, CLOTHING, ETC. ALMOST NO ONE RPTED INJURIES. I ONLY ENCOUNTERED 1 FEMALE, HVY SET, WHO WAS SITTING BY A WINDOW AND HAD HIT HER HEAD ON THE PAX SVC UNIT ABOVE HER. SHE COMPLAINED OF A HURT NECK. I DON'T KNOW HOW CLR AIR TURB CAN BE DETECTED OR PREVENTED. I FEEL OUR COCKPIT CREW DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO CORRECT. 5 CREW MEMBERS WERE SEEN AT THE EMER ROOM THAT NIGHT (WE HAD TURNED AROUND AND RETURNED TO MIA). 2-3 PAX WERE SEEN AT A DIFFERENT EMER ROOM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 379486: FREQ: ZMA. ALT: FL330. LOCATION: 200 MI SSE MIA. WX APPROX 200 NM FROM MIA S OF NAU. I WAS FLYING THE LEG AND WE WERE GOING BTWN 2 CELLS. ENCOUNTERED SEVERE AIR TURB LASTING ABOUT 10 SECONDS. CAPT CHKED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO ASSESS THE SIT. THE CAPT DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER AND RETURNED TO MIA. THE SKY CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE HIGH CIRRUS WITH MOSTLY RAIN WITH A FEW INDIVIDUAL CELLS.

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.