Cabin attendant of super 80 reports severe turbulence encounter. Fortunately no carts in the aisle b...

Attributes
ACN	393124
Time
Date	199801
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mia
State Reference	FL
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	393124
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Seat belt sign was on, but no prior warning. Until technology improves, I feel virtually nothing could have been done in this situation. We were fortunate. No service carts were in the aisle. There were many passenger that had beverages (hot and cold). These passenger were drenched. Beverages were thrown up so violently that there were areas of the cabin dripping coffee from the ceiling. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the flight was at cruise and the seat belt sign had been on for a brief time, but he was collecting cups, etc, by hand so no carts were in the aisle. He was lifted out of his seat as he tried to put his seat belt on and a passenger assisted him getting his belt fastened. In 14 yrs of flying he has had only one experience that was worse than this. The severe turbulence lasted about 20-30 seconds. There were no injuries, but the flight attendants heard 2 people talking about trying to get some money from the airline and they complained about hurting at the end of the flight. Reporter contacted his supervisor regarding this information.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT OF SUPER 80 RPTS SEVERE TURB ENCOUNTER. FORTUNATELY NO CARTS IN THE AISLE BUT HE WAS PICKING UP AFTER MEAL SVC. TURB LASTED ABOUT 20-30 SECONDS.

Narrative: SEAT BELT SIGN WAS ON, BUT NO PRIOR WARNING. UNTIL TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES, I FEEL VIRTUALLY NOTHING COULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN THIS SIT. WE WERE FORTUNATE. NO SVC CARTS WERE IN THE AISLE. THERE WERE MANY PAX THAT HAD BEVERAGES (HOT AND COLD). THESE PAX WERE DRENCHED. BEVERAGES WERE THROWN UP SO VIOLENTLY THAT THERE WERE AREAS OF THE CABIN DRIPPING COFFEE FROM THE CEILING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE FLT WAS AT CRUISE AND THE SEAT BELT SIGN HAD BEEN ON FOR A BRIEF TIME, BUT HE WAS COLLECTING CUPS, ETC, BY HAND SO NO CARTS WERE IN THE AISLE. HE WAS LIFTED OUT OF HIS SEAT AS HE TRIED TO PUT HIS SEAT BELT ON AND A PAX ASSISTED HIM GETTING HIS BELT FASTENED. IN 14 YRS OF FLYING HE HAS HAD ONLY ONE EXPERIENCE THAT WAS WORSE THAN THIS. THE SEVERE TURB LASTED ABOUT 20-30 SECONDS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT THE FLT ATTENDANTS HEARD 2 PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO GET SOME MONEY FROM THE AIRLINE AND THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT HURTING AT THE END OF THE FLT. RPTR CONTACTED HIS SUPVR REGARDING THIS INFO.

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.

Cabin attendant of super 80 reports severe turbulence encounter. Fortunately no carts in the aisle but he was picking up after meal service. Turbulence lasted about 20-30 seconds.