Narrative:

We were advised to remain seated after takeoff because of the expectation of turbulence at takeoff. There was some significant turbulence. About 15 mins into the flight, we were advised that it was safe to begin the service. Since it was a short flight with a nearly full complement of passenger, we moved quickly into the aisle. After serving only the first 3-4 rows, we were hit with severe turbulence. The cart 'jumped' and inserts on top of the cart 'jumped' as well. Hot and cold liquids, serving cups, etc, were sent flying in the immediate area. Several passenger were soaked in liquid. I was covered with coffee that I was pouring. We immediately reassembled the cart and said 'let's take it back.' we moved the cart and restowed all the serving items in (I would guess) under 2 mins. The heavy turbulence continued for about 20 mins, as the cockpit crew tried to evade it by changing altitude and direction. Flight attendants were seated during this time. When it seemed 'safe' again, I moved through the cabin with damp cloths to assist passenger to clean up and checked with each passenger to be sure they were ok. No one complained of any injury other than getting wet from spilled beverages. I believe no injuries were incurred, because all passenger were seated with seatbelts fastened. The initial turbulence was a warning to them. I recall the captain, in his initial announcement, asking passenger to remain seated while we were in the aisles -- that helped, too. On reflection, I believe there should be some kind of tie-down for the inserts on top of the cart. Something like a pair of bungee cords hooked over the inserts and fastened on each end of the cart. The captain said later that the turbulence did not show up on the radar and was a surprise event for them. All in all, it was a scary situation and not one I'd like to repeat. Another thing: either the curtain was never pulled between first class and coach cabins, or the #1 flight attendant pulled it back, but it was reassuring to be in phone and visual contact with the crew at the forward part of the plane during the event. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that the area was experiencing rain and wind when they took off, but there was no forecast of severe turbulence. He is adamant that the airlines come up with a better method of carrying things on top of the serving carts that secures items, including open liquids, from flying off the carts in times of turbulence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, S80, ORD-DTW. UNFORECAST TURB, SERVING CART ITEMS, LIQUIDS WENT FLYING EVERYWHERE ON TOP OF PAX. SAFETY SUGGESTION FOR CARTS.

Narrative: WE WERE ADVISED TO REMAIN SEATED AFTER TKOF BECAUSE OF THE EXPECTATION OF TURB AT TKOF. THERE WAS SOME SIGNIFICANT TURB. ABOUT 15 MINS INTO THE FLT, WE WERE ADVISED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO BEGIN THE SVC. SINCE IT WAS A SHORT FLT WITH A NEARLY FULL COMPLEMENT OF PAX, WE MOVED QUICKLY INTO THE AISLE. AFTER SERVING ONLY THE FIRST 3-4 ROWS, WE WERE HIT WITH SEVERE TURB. THE CART 'JUMPED' AND INSERTS ON TOP OF THE CART 'JUMPED' AS WELL. HOT AND COLD LIQUIDS, SERVING CUPS, ETC, WERE SENT FLYING IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. SEVERAL PAX WERE SOAKED IN LIQUID. I WAS COVERED WITH COFFEE THAT I WAS POURING. WE IMMEDIATELY REASSEMBLED THE CART AND SAID 'LET'S TAKE IT BACK.' WE MOVED THE CART AND RESTOWED ALL THE SERVING ITEMS IN (I WOULD GUESS) UNDER 2 MINS. THE HVY TURB CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 20 MINS, AS THE COCKPIT CREW TRIED TO EVADE IT BY CHANGING ALT AND DIRECTION. FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SEATED DURING THIS TIME. WHEN IT SEEMED 'SAFE' AGAIN, I MOVED THROUGH THE CABIN WITH DAMP CLOTHS TO ASSIST PAX TO CLEAN UP AND CHKED WITH EACH PAX TO BE SURE THEY WERE OK. NO ONE COMPLAINED OF ANY INJURY OTHER THAN GETTING WET FROM SPILLED BEVERAGES. I BELIEVE NO INJURIES WERE INCURRED, BECAUSE ALL PAX WERE SEATED WITH SEATBELTS FASTENED. THE INITIAL TURB WAS A WARNING TO THEM. I RECALL THE CAPT, IN HIS INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT, ASKING PAX TO REMAIN SEATED WHILE WE WERE IN THE AISLES -- THAT HELPED, TOO. ON REFLECTION, I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF TIE-DOWN FOR THE INSERTS ON TOP OF THE CART. SOMETHING LIKE A PAIR OF BUNGEE CORDS HOOKED OVER THE INSERTS AND FASTENED ON EACH END OF THE CART. THE CAPT SAID LATER THAT THE TURB DID NOT SHOW UP ON THE RADAR AND WAS A SURPRISE EVENT FOR THEM. ALL IN ALL, IT WAS A SCARY SIT AND NOT ONE I'D LIKE TO REPEAT. ANOTHER THING: EITHER THE CURTAIN WAS NEVER PULLED BTWN FIRST CLASS AND COACH CABINS, OR THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT PULLED IT BACK, BUT IT WAS REASSURING TO BE IN PHONE AND VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE CREW AT THE FORWARD PART OF THE PLANE DURING THE EVENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT THE AREA WAS EXPERIENCING RAIN AND WIND WHEN THEY TOOK OFF, BUT THERE WAS NO FORECAST OF SEVERE TURB. HE IS ADAMANT THAT THE AIRLINES COME UP WITH A BETTER METHOD OF CARRYING THINGS ON TOP OF THE SERVING CARTS THAT SECURES ITEMS, INCLUDING OPEN LIQUIDS, FROM FLYING OFF THE CARTS IN TIMES OF TURB.

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.