Narrative:

We were finalizing cabin duties on descent/approach at approximately 10000 ft when wake turbulence jolted us to the left and dropped us suddenly. I could feel it coming. It was rather slow, so I grabbed the top of the 2R jump seat to brace myself. I witnessed other crew members literally free-floating about the service center. Fortunately, all passenger were strapped in and only a few flight attendants were hurt. Those that were hurt were in the back of the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter acn 409158 revealed the following information: reporter stated that 1 cabin attendant had a concussion injury as she was in the aft of the aircraft when the turbulence hit and required a wheelchair upon arrival. The injuries that occurred were cabin attendants in the aft of the aircraft. Reporter stated that a cart in the service center that was not secure raised up in the air 2 ft and slammed down. Fortunately no injuries to anyone from this cart. Reporter suggests to prevent this type of incident that the rule of 6 mins out cabin attendants and cabin equipment secured be extended to 10 mins out and analyst agrees. On short segments, this is not always possible, but a far safer rule to prevent injury in the event of wake turbulence. Also, flight crew communication with cabin attendants after this incident did not occur and should be mandatory when injuries occur. Supplemental information from acn 408046: I was handing back coats and checking for seatbelt compliance when the aircraft went into a 25-30 degree roll to the left in a nose down attitude. At that moment, I was then lifted up off the deck and thrown upwards to the ceiling next to the l-hand overhead bins. I held onto the top of the overhead bin with my left hand. The captain made a brief PA about using seatbelts and what happened. Supplemental information from acn 408039: we were following a B747. All 4 flight attendants in main cabin were hurt. Supplemental information from acn 408042: in future, flight attendants should be in jump seats and strapped in 20 mins before landing. Supplemental information from acn 409158: I felt us start banking to the left. Then lift proceeded. I was being lifted off the ground in slow motion. I felt I was lifted off the ground 3-4 ft. Apparently we were spaced too close behind another aircraft on approach into lax. I feel we should be seated when we begin our approach to minimize injury, not on final. Because if you have ever been in that situation, it is a situation of helplessness. Seatbelts should be worn on approach by everyone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON DSCNT ONBOARD DC10-10, ACFT HIT WAKE TURB CAUSING CABIN ATTENDANTS TO BE INJURED. FLT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

Narrative: WE WERE FINALIZING CABIN DUTIES ON DSCNT/APCH AT APPROX 10000 FT WHEN WAKE TURB JOLTED US TO THE L AND DROPPED US SUDDENLY. I COULD FEEL IT COMING. IT WAS RATHER SLOW, SO I GRABBED THE TOP OF THE 2R JUMP SEAT TO BRACE MYSELF. I WITNESSED OTHER CREW MEMBERS LITERALLY FREE-FLOATING ABOUT THE SVC CTR. FORTUNATELY, ALL PAX WERE STRAPPED IN AND ONLY A FEW FLT ATTENDANTS WERE HURT. THOSE THAT WERE HURT WERE IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 409158 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT 1 CABIN ATTENDANT HAD A CONCUSSION INJURY AS SHE WAS IN THE AFT OF THE ACFT WHEN THE TURB HIT AND REQUIRED A WHEELCHAIR UPON ARR. THE INJURIES THAT OCCURRED WERE CABIN ATTENDANTS IN THE AFT OF THE ACFT. RPTR STATED THAT A CART IN THE SVC CTR THAT WAS NOT SECURE RAISED UP IN THE AIR 2 FT AND SLAMMED DOWN. FORTUNATELY NO INJURIES TO ANYONE FROM THIS CART. RPTR SUGGESTS TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT THAT THE RULE OF 6 MINS OUT CABIN ATTENDANTS AND CABIN EQUIP SECURED BE EXTENDED TO 10 MINS OUT AND ANALYST AGREES. ON SHORT SEGMENTS, THIS IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE, BUT A FAR SAFER RULE TO PREVENT INJURY IN THE EVENT OF WAKE TURB. ALSO, FLC COM WITH CABIN ATTENDANTS AFTER THIS INCIDENT DID NOT OCCUR AND SHOULD BE MANDATORY WHEN INJURIES OCCUR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 408046: I WAS HANDING BACK COATS AND CHKING FOR SEATBELT COMPLIANCE WHEN THE ACFT WENT INTO A 25-30 DEG ROLL TO THE L IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. AT THAT MOMENT, I WAS THEN LIFTED UP OFF THE DECK AND THROWN UPWARDS TO THE CEILING NEXT TO THE L-HAND OVERHEAD BINS. I HELD ONTO THE TOP OF THE OVERHEAD BIN WITH MY L HAND. THE CAPT MADE A BRIEF PA ABOUT USING SEATBELTS AND WHAT HAPPENED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 408039: WE WERE FOLLOWING A B747. ALL 4 FLT ATTENDANTS IN MAIN CABIN WERE HURT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 408042: IN FUTURE, FLT ATTENDANTS SHOULD BE IN JUMP SEATS AND STRAPPED IN 20 MINS BEFORE LNDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 409158: I FELT US START BANKING TO THE L. THEN LIFT PROCEEDED. I WAS BEING LIFTED OFF THE GND IN SLOW MOTION. I FELT I WAS LIFTED OFF THE GND 3-4 FT. APPARENTLY WE WERE SPACED TOO CLOSE BEHIND ANOTHER ACFT ON APCH INTO LAX. I FEEL WE SHOULD BE SEATED WHEN WE BEGIN OUR APCH TO MINIMIZE INJURY, NOT ON FINAL. BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN IN THAT SIT, IT IS A SIT OF HELPLESSNESS. SEATBELTS SHOULD BE WORN ON APCH BY EVERYONE.

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.