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Cabin attendant report on an encounter with severe turbulence that appeared to have lasted from FL310 down to 10000 ft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 397407 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199803 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pie |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zma |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude descent other other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| ASRS Report | 397467 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Captain advised cabin crew that the climb out may be a little choppy and that we should remain seated for a few mins longer after takeoff. At approximately 30000 ft the aircraft attitude seemed to be smooth as we were starting to level off at cruising. WX outside looked clear as the cabin was bright and outside light was also bright. We started to experience a light chop and decided to situation down. Within seconds the back of the aircraft started shaking in an up and down motion as the carts in the galley was being lifted up from the floor in its stowage area very rapidly. I felt the aircraft slow down, pull up, drop, all simultaneously. The pattern of turbulence between 30000 ft and 10000 ft was exactly the same, up and down. The aircraft didn't seem to bank to the right or left as the carts kept being lifted up and down. There was one point where the carts were shaking side to side but it was for only a min. I felt the aircraft losing altitude for about 20 mins. At one point or two, it felt like I was on a roller coaster going downhill. The odd part of this incident is that the 'bouncing' of the aircraft at all different altitudes were exactly the same which was very puzzling. I have been in severe turbulence but this was far more different as far as the movement of the plane. During the entire incident I was seated in my jump seat and felt like I was being 'yanked' out of my seat every second. It felt like the aircraft was going to break apart during the event. Between 20000 ft and 10000 ft I felt a nose dive at about a 40 degree angle for a few mins and at 10000 ft, the same turbulent pattern started. During the event, my body was not able to stand up, I had no control of movement. During the event there was about 4 mins of smooth air at approximately 20000 ft. I believe it was windshear and we were in the wrong place at the wrong time -- clear air turbulence. In conclusion, I hope a windshear device is in the making of being installed on all aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT ON AN ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE TURB THAT APPEARED TO HAVE LASTED FROM FL310 DOWN TO 10000 FT.
Narrative: CAPT ADVISED CABIN CREW THAT THE CLBOUT MAY BE A LITTLE CHOPPY AND THAT WE SHOULD REMAIN SEATED FOR A FEW MINS LONGER AFTER TKOF. AT APPROX 30000 FT THE ACFT ATTITUDE SEEMED TO BE SMOOTH AS WE WERE STARTING TO LEVEL OFF AT CRUISING. WX OUTSIDE LOOKED CLR AS THE CABIN WAS BRIGHT AND OUTSIDE LIGHT WAS ALSO BRIGHT. WE STARTED TO EXPERIENCE A LIGHT CHOP AND DECIDED TO SIT DOWN. WITHIN SECONDS THE BACK OF THE ACFT STARTED SHAKING IN AN UP AND DOWN MOTION AS THE CARTS IN THE GALLEY WAS BEING LIFTED UP FROM THE FLOOR IN ITS STOWAGE AREA VERY RAPIDLY. I FELT THE ACFT SLOW DOWN, PULL UP, DROP, ALL SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE PATTERN OF TURB BTWN 30000 FT AND 10000 FT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME, UP AND DOWN. THE ACFT DIDN'T SEEM TO BANK TO THE R OR L AS THE CARTS KEPT BEING LIFTED UP AND DOWN. THERE WAS ONE POINT WHERE THE CARTS WERE SHAKING SIDE TO SIDE BUT IT WAS FOR ONLY A MIN. I FELT THE ACFT LOSING ALT FOR ABOUT 20 MINS. AT ONE POINT OR TWO, IT FELT LIKE I WAS ON A ROLLER COASTER GOING DOWNHILL. THE ODD PART OF THIS INCIDENT IS THAT THE 'BOUNCING' OF THE ACFT AT ALL DIFFERENT ALTS WERE EXACTLY THE SAME WHICH WAS VERY PUZZLING. I HAVE BEEN IN SEVERE TURB BUT THIS WAS FAR MORE DIFFERENT AS FAR AS THE MOVEMENT OF THE PLANE. DURING THE ENTIRE INCIDENT I WAS SEATED IN MY JUMP SEAT AND FELT LIKE I WAS BEING 'YANKED' OUT OF MY SEAT EVERY SECOND. IT FELT LIKE THE ACFT WAS GOING TO BREAK APART DURING THE EVENT. BTWN 20000 FT AND 10000 FT I FELT A NOSE DIVE AT ABOUT A 40 DEG ANGLE FOR A FEW MINS AND AT 10000 FT, THE SAME TURBULENT PATTERN STARTED. DURING THE EVENT, MY BODY WAS NOT ABLE TO STAND UP, I HAD NO CTL OF MOVEMENT. DURING THE EVENT THERE WAS ABOUT 4 MINS OF SMOOTH AIR AT APPROX 20000 FT. I BELIEVE IT WAS WINDSHEAR AND WE WERE IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME -- CLR AIR TURB. IN CONCLUSION, I HOPE A WINDSHEAR DEVICE IS IN THE MAKING OF BEING INSTALLED ON ALL ACFT.
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.