Narrative:

Frequency/altitude: na/FL330. ATC facility: san juan center. Location: 140 NM northwest anada, 45 NM northwest tisx, en route. While flying from mia to position at FL330, we were suddenly and unexpectedly in an area of very strong moderate turbulence. While there was minimal altitude variation, the aircraft was tossed about for 15-20 seconds, followed very soon by another episode of slightly shorter duration. Flight attendants in the forward galley were thrown to the floor, and those in the back, while seated, were unable to put on their seat belts, as the motion of the aircraft did not allow the inertial reels in the belts to release far enough to allow the belts to be fastened. I was informed that passenger were screaming. The purser, flight attendant #1, checked with each and every passenger after the incident, to ascertain their status. No injuries were reported at the time. Other flight attendants went through the aircraft later as a second check and no injuries were reported. In the cockpit, we had painted WX far ahead, which we were preparing to circumnav, but we had no warning of the turbulence which we encountered. We immediately reported the incident to san juan center. A descent and landing were made into position without incident.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, B757, MIA-POS, UNEXPECTED STRONG TURB AT FL330 BTWN MIA-POS. CABIN ATTENDANTS THROWN AROUND, PAX SCREAMING, BUT NO INJURIES.

Narrative: FREQ/ALT: NA/FL330. ATC FACILITY: SAN JUAN CTR. LOCATION: 140 NM NW ANADA, 45 NM NW TISX, ENRTE. WHILE FLYING FROM MIA TO POS AT FL330, WE WERE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY IN AN AREA OF VERY STRONG MODERATE TURB. WHILE THERE WAS MINIMAL ALT VARIATION, THE ACFT WAS TOSSED ABOUT FOR 15-20 SECONDS, FOLLOWED VERY SOON BY ANOTHER EPISODE OF SLIGHTLY SHORTER DURATION. FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE FORWARD GALLEY WERE THROWN TO THE FLOOR, AND THOSE IN THE BACK, WHILE SEATED, WERE UNABLE TO PUT ON THEIR SEAT BELTS, AS THE MOTION OF THE ACFT DID NOT ALLOW THE INERTIAL REELS IN THE BELTS TO RELEASE FAR ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE BELTS TO BE FASTENED. I WAS INFORMED THAT PAX WERE SCREAMING. THE PURSER, FLT ATTENDANT #1, CHKED WITH EACH AND EVERY PAX AFTER THE INCIDENT, TO ASCERTAIN THEIR STATUS. NO INJURIES WERE RPTED AT THE TIME. OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS WENT THROUGH THE ACFT LATER AS A SECOND CHK AND NO INJURIES WERE RPTED. IN THE COCKPIT, WE HAD PAINTED WX FAR AHEAD, WHICH WE WERE PREPARING TO CIRCUMNAV, BUT WE HAD NO WARNING OF THE TURB WHICH WE ENCOUNTERED. WE IMMEDIATELY RPTED THE INCIDENT TO SAN JUAN CTR. A DSCNT AND LNDG WERE MADE INTO POS WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.