Narrative:

Approximately 45 mins into the flight, we incurred severe turbulence. As a flight attendant, we were serving our first class passenger lunch. It was very sudden and all we could do was hold onto something. It was very difficult to move the carts to secure them, but we had to, so we could seatbelt ourselves in. The captain said it was clear air turbulence. I could hear ice hitting the airplane. It was very difficult to try to get the trays of food from the passenger, since the captain wanted us to remain seated for the duration of the flight. I believe we flew into a developing line of thunderstorms that were moving west to east. It was cloudy, then I could hear ice or hail. Then it got sunny again. The captain was trying to find a smooth altitude, but it always seemed like we were in unstable air. Thank goodness no one was hurt and everyone was seated, except for the crew. There were times we hit some pretty good air pockets. There was a point when we decided, if we could not get to a passenger for food/service pick-up items, that they were to put them in the seat back pocket or underneath the seat in front of them on the floor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, MD80, DFW-BNA. SEVERE TURB. CAPT COULDN'T FIND SMOOTH ALT. CABIN ATTENDANT TOLD TO REMAIN SEATED.

Narrative: APPROX 45 MINS INTO THE FLT, WE INCURRED SEVERE TURB. AS A FLT ATTENDANT, WE WERE SERVING OUR FIRST CLASS PAX LUNCH. IT WAS VERY SUDDEN AND ALL WE COULD DO WAS HOLD ONTO SOMETHING. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE THE CARTS TO SECURE THEM, BUT WE HAD TO, SO WE COULD SEATBELT OURSELVES IN. THE CAPT SAID IT WAS CLR AIR TURB. I COULD HEAR ICE HITTING THE AIRPLANE. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TRY TO GET THE TRAYS OF FOOD FROM THE PAX, SINCE THE CAPT WANTED US TO REMAIN SEATED FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. I BELIEVE WE FLEW INTO A DEVELOPING LINE OF TSTMS THAT WERE MOVING W TO E. IT WAS CLOUDY, THEN I COULD HEAR ICE OR HAIL. THEN IT GOT SUNNY AGAIN. THE CAPT WAS TRYING TO FIND A SMOOTH ALT, BUT IT ALWAYS SEEMED LIKE WE WERE IN UNSTABLE AIR. THANK GOODNESS NO ONE WAS HURT AND EVERYONE WAS SEATED, EXCEPT FOR THE CREW. THERE WERE TIMES WE HIT SOME PRETTY GOOD AIR POCKETS. THERE WAS A POINT WHEN WE DECIDED, IF WE COULD NOT GET TO A PAX FOR FOOD/SVC PICK-UP ITEMS, THAT THEY WERE TO PUT THEM IN THE SEAT BACK POCKET OR UNDERNEATH THE SEAT IN FRONT OF THEM ON THE FLOOR.

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.