Narrative:

We began our daily and necessary checks. We determined the audio was inoperative and, therefore, we would do a manual safety demonstration. After the cockpit crew got on, it was discovered the PA wouldn't work for the movie, but it did, in fact, work at each individual seat. (This had been placarded and sat overnight). As the guys were doing their checks, the emergency lights came on in the aircraft several times. I only saw the ones on the floor. I think it happened a few times. I was busy doing something else. Once we determined that everything was fine to board, we assumed our position, and boarding began. We backed out from the gate and began our safety demonstration. #1 flight crew attendant read the PA, while giving the customers the full opportunity to see all graphics and the benefit of the entire safety demonstration in spanish. We did our regular safety checks and took our jump seats. We took off normally. After what seemed to me to be about 35 seconds, I heard explosions on the aircraft. I thought we were being attacked by terrorists. It seemed like we were hit 8-11 times. Everyone in plane was ghostly silent. I was waiting to see or smell smoke in the cabin. Everyone was looking at me, and I was trying to look calm. Within a few moments, the captain came on and advised that we were having engine difficulty, and that we would be returning back to san. (I don't remember if those were his exact words or not.) we all remained in our jump seats. All in all, we were in the air 6-7 mins. As we were approaching san, the captain came on over the PA and said 'flight crew attendants -- 30 second review' instead of focusing at the crucial incident at hand, I was now wondering what the hell was he talking about? We must have been 250 ft, when the captain came over the PA and shouted 'flight crew attendants brace.' none of the flight crew attendants yelled 'heads down, stay down.' we came down fast and heavy. The aircraft stopped quickly, and we were advised that because we had landed so swiftly and heavily, the fire department would need to take a few mins to cool the brakes. The captain asked everyone to remain seated. I got up and slowly started to walk through the cabin checking on people, just making sure everyone was ok. There were several folks crying, and it appeared that many people were in shock. Many people wanted to hold my hand and just talk. At that point, we were going to move the aircraft to the gate, so I needed to go back to my jump seat for taxi. Some guy from tsa came over and took a few statements from us regarding what we heard, thought, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW ATTENDANTS ON B757 RPT LOUD CONCUSSIVE SOUNDS FROM R ENG. ENG WAS SHUT DOWN, AND A QUICK AND DIRTY RETURN TO THE DEP ARPT ACCOMPLISHED. FLC DID NOT PROPERLY BRIEF AND INFORM THE FLT CREW ATTENDANT CREW AS TO SIT AND OR EXPECTATIONS.

Narrative: WE BEGAN OUR DAILY AND NECESSARY CHKS. WE DETERMINED THE AUDIO WAS INOP AND, THEREFORE, WE WOULD DO A MANUAL SAFETY DEMONSTRATION. AFTER THE COCKPIT CREW GOT ON, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE PA WOULDN'T WORK FOR THE MOVIE, BUT IT DID, IN FACT, WORK AT EACH INDIVIDUAL SEAT. (THIS HAD BEEN PLACARDED AND SAT OVERNIGHT). AS THE GUYS WERE DOING THEIR CHKS, THE EMER LIGHTS CAME ON IN THE ACFT SEVERAL TIMES. I ONLY SAW THE ONES ON THE FLOOR. I THINK IT HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. I WAS BUSY DOING SOMETHING ELSE. ONCE WE DETERMINED THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE TO BOARD, WE ASSUMED OUR POS, AND BOARDING BEGAN. WE BACKED OUT FROM THE GATE AND BEGAN OUR SAFETY DEMONSTRATION. #1 FLT CREW ATTENDANT READ THE PA, WHILE GIVING THE CUSTOMERS THE FULL OPPORTUNITY TO SEE ALL GRAPHICS AND THE BENEFIT OF THE ENTIRE SAFETY DEMO IN SPANISH. WE DID OUR REGULAR SAFETY CHKS AND TOOK OUR JUMP SEATS. WE TOOK OFF NORMALLY. AFTER WHAT SEEMED TO ME TO BE ABOUT 35 SECONDS, I HEARD EXPLOSIONS ON THE ACFT. I THOUGHT WE WERE BEING ATTACKED BY TERRORISTS. IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE HIT 8-11 TIMES. EVERYONE IN PLANE WAS GHOSTLY SILENT. I WAS WAITING TO SEE OR SMELL SMOKE IN THE CABIN. EVERYONE WAS LOOKING AT ME, AND I WAS TRYING TO LOOK CALM. WITHIN A FEW MOMENTS, THE CAPT CAME ON AND ADVISED THAT WE WERE HAVING ENG DIFFICULTY, AND THAT WE WOULD BE RETURNING BACK TO SAN. (I DON'T REMEMBER IF THOSE WERE HIS EXACT WORDS OR NOT.) WE ALL REMAINED IN OUR JUMP SEATS. ALL IN ALL, WE WERE IN THE AIR 6-7 MINS. AS WE WERE APCHING SAN, THE CAPT CAME ON OVER THE PA AND SAID 'FLT CREW ATTENDANTS -- 30 SECOND REVIEW' INSTEAD OF FOCUSING AT THE CRUCIAL INCIDENT AT HAND, I WAS NOW WONDERING WHAT THE HELL WAS HE TALKING ABOUT? WE MUST HAVE BEEN 250 FT, WHEN THE CAPT CAME OVER THE PA AND SHOUTED 'FLT CREW ATTENDANTS BRACE.' NONE OF THE FLT CREW ATTENDANTS YELLED 'HEADS DOWN, STAY DOWN.' WE CAME DOWN FAST AND HVY. THE ACFT STOPPED QUICKLY, AND WE WERE ADVISED THAT BECAUSE WE HAD LANDED SO SWIFTLY AND HEAVILY, THE FIRE DEPT WOULD NEED TO TAKE A FEW MINS TO COOL THE BRAKES. THE CAPT ASKED EVERYONE TO REMAIN SEATED. I GOT UP AND SLOWLY STARTED TO WALK THROUGH THE CABIN CHKING ON PEOPLE, JUST MAKING SURE EVERYONE WAS OK. THERE WERE SEVERAL FOLKS CRYING, AND IT APPEARED THAT MANY PEOPLE WERE IN SHOCK. MANY PEOPLE WANTED TO HOLD MY HAND AND JUST TALK. AT THAT POINT, WE WERE GOING TO MOVE THE ACFT TO THE GATE, SO I NEEDED TO GO BACK TO MY JUMP SEAT FOR TAXI. SOME GUY FROM TSA CAME OVER AND TOOK A FEW STATEMENTS FROM US REGARDING WHAT WE HEARD, THOUGHT, ETC.

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.