Narrative:

We are forced to do a follow-north service about 1 1/2 hours before landing on international destinations, which presents problems because all service items should be put away 45 mins to 1 hour before landing. About 45 mins out, we encountered severe turbulence and we were putting service items away when, on descent, the captain moved around a storm, throwing 8 of the flight attendants onto the floor and walls. 2 first class flight attendants landed on the floor. 2 business class flight attendants ended up on the floor near row 7 while handing back carts. A business class flight attendant thrown against wall. The main cabin galley flight attendant was surrounded by cart and inserts of supplies caving in on her. 2 main cabin flight attendants were thrown on the floor near vestibule area of the lavatories, one of which bounced off the lavatory wall, before being slammed onto the lavatory door, knocking it off the hinge. Our airline fails to report many incidents because their main priority is servicing people and having flight attendants always in the aisles. We usually encounter turbulence on descent in europe 90% of the time, within 45 mins to 1 hour before landing. But because of service elements that may be compromised, our airline neglects to take appropriate measures. Supplemental information from acn 489783: the captain had informed passenger of rainstorms in the area. He planned to go around the storms, but did not ask flight attendants to be seated. If we had planned for landing earlier and had been seated, I believe the situation could have been avoided. Supplemental information from acn 491326: flight attendant in charge told me he called the captain and asked if we should continue to prepare for landing after seatbelts were checked, and the captain said 'no.' with only 25 mins or so left in flight, I would have liked it if the captain would have said 'yes' to the purser's question. With air turbulence being as tricky as it is, it might be a good idea if pilots were given a guideline to help with their judgements. When I attended class, I found the lecture with the pilot at 'crew resources' to be very informative on the topic of turbulence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 8 CABIN ATTENDANTS INJURED IN TSTM, TURB ON DSCNT INTO AIRPORT. CAPT NEVER TOLD CABIN ATTENDANTS TO BE SEATED.

Narrative: WE ARE FORCED TO DO A FOLLOW-N SVC ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS BEFORE LNDG ON INTL DESTS, WHICH PRESENTS PROBS BECAUSE ALL SVC ITEMS SHOULD BE PUT AWAY 45 MINS TO 1 HR BEFORE LNDG. ABOUT 45 MINS OUT, WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB AND WE WERE PUTTING SVC ITEMS AWAY WHEN, ON DSCNT, THE CAPT MOVED AROUND A STORM, THROWING 8 OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS ONTO THE FLOOR AND WALLS. 2 FIRST CLASS FLT ATTENDANTS LANDED ON THE FLOOR. 2 BUSINESS CLASS FLT ATTENDANTS ENDED UP ON THE FLOOR NEAR ROW 7 WHILE HANDING BACK CARTS. A BUSINESS CLASS FLT ATTENDANT THROWN AGAINST WALL. THE MAIN CABIN GALLEY FLT ATTENDANT WAS SURROUNDED BY CART AND INSERTS OF SUPPLIES CAVING IN ON HER. 2 MAIN CABIN FLT ATTENDANTS WERE THROWN ON THE FLOOR NEAR VESTIBULE AREA OF THE LAVATORIES, ONE OF WHICH BOUNCED OFF THE LAVATORY WALL, BEFORE BEING SLAMMED ONTO THE LAVATORY DOOR, KNOCKING IT OFF THE HINGE. OUR AIRLINE FAILS TO RPT MANY INCIDENTS BECAUSE THEIR MAIN PRIORITY IS SVCING PEOPLE AND HAVING FLT ATTENDANTS ALWAYS IN THE AISLES. WE USUALLY ENCOUNTER TURB ON DSCNT IN EUROPE 90% OF THE TIME, WITHIN 45 MINS TO 1 HR BEFORE LNDG. BUT BECAUSE OF SVC ELEMENTS THAT MAY BE COMPROMISED, OUR AIRLINE NEGLECTS TO TAKE APPROPRIATE MEASURES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 489783: THE CAPT HAD INFORMED PAX OF RAINSTORMS IN THE AREA. HE PLANNED TO GO AROUND THE STORMS, BUT DID NOT ASK FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE SEATED. IF WE HAD PLANNED FOR LNDG EARLIER AND HAD BEEN SEATED, I BELIEVE THE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 491326: FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE TOLD ME HE CALLED THE CAPT AND ASKED IF WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO PREPARE FOR LNDG AFTER SEATBELTS WERE CHKED, AND THE CAPT SAID 'NO.' WITH ONLY 25 MINS OR SO LEFT IN FLT, I WOULD HAVE LIKED IT IF THE CAPT WOULD HAVE SAID 'YES' TO THE PURSER'S QUESTION. WITH AIR TURB BEING AS TRICKY AS IT IS, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA IF PLTS WERE GIVEN A GUIDELINE TO HELP WITH THEIR JUDGEMENTS. WHEN I ATTENDED CLASS, I FOUND THE LECTURE WITH THE PLT AT 'CREW RESOURCES' TO BE VERY INFORMATIVE ON THE TOPIC 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.