Cabin attendant reports severe turbulence that lasted 20-30 mins before the aircraft returned to smo...

Attributes
ACN	397922
Time
Date	199803
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fmy
State Reference	FL
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	cruise other other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	397922
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

I think it's important to just keep the seat belt sign on always. Seat belt the babies also. It's a miracle no one flew and its also a miracle that the aircraft didn't break apart (vibrated so). We didn't rock left to right. We just fell and kind of a wash board shaking down move and fell. If it was a strong wind burst, how come it took so long to get out of it (20-30 mins)? There was such a free-fall feeling, like there was no air, a roller coaster feeling. But the seat belts worked. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that she never, in her 8 yrs as a flight attendant, had turbulence last as long as this did. When talking to the flight crew they said they were having trouble controling the aircraft and were diverting to land as soon as possible. She further stated that the cabin pitched and shook up until landing. There were thunderstorms in and around the area in which they were flying but they were not in clouds during the turbulent ride.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS SEVERE TURB THAT LASTED 20-30 MINS BEFORE THE ACFT RETURNED TO SMOOTH FLT RESULTING IN INJURIES TO BOTH PAX AND CABIN CREW. THE FLC RPTED CTL DIFFICULTY WITH THE ACFT AND DIVERTED TO LAND.

Narrative: I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO JUST KEEP THE SEAT BELT SIGN ON ALWAYS. SEAT BELT THE BABIES ALSO. IT'S A MIRACLE NO ONE FLEW AND ITS ALSO A MIRACLE THAT THE ACFT DIDN'T BREAK APART (VIBRATED SO). WE DIDN'T ROCK L TO R. WE JUST FELL AND KIND OF A WASH BOARD SHAKING DOWN MOVE AND FELL. IF IT WAS A STRONG WIND BURST, HOW COME IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET OUT OF IT (20-30 MINS)? THERE WAS SUCH A FREE-FALL FEELING, LIKE THERE WAS NO AIR, A ROLLER COASTER FEELING. BUT THE SEAT BELTS WORKED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT SHE NEVER, IN HER 8 YRS AS A FLT ATTENDANT, HAD TURB LAST AS LONG AS THIS DID. WHEN TALKING TO THE FLC THEY SAID THEY WERE HAVING TROUBLE CTLING THE ACFT AND WERE DIVERTING TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SHE FURTHER STATED THAT THE CABIN PITCHED AND SHOOK UP UNTIL LNDG. THERE WERE TSTMS IN AND AROUND THE AREA IN WHICH THEY WERE FLYING BUT THEY WERE NOT IN CLOUDS DURING THE TURBULENT RIDE.

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 reports severe turbulence that lasted 20-30 mins before the aircraft returned to smooth flight resulting in injuries to both passenger and cabin crew. The flight crew reported control difficulty with the aircraft and diverted to land.