Narrative:

Severe to moderate turbulence occurred, all of a sudden, during beverage/snack service. The unexpected motion forced me down to a crouching position. Items on the cart fell over and off the cart. Passenger spilled their drinks. Passenger were screaming, crying and vomiting. I strained my back while trying to keep the insert from falling on passenger and holding on to a passenger seat in a crouching position. It was impossible to walk to my jumpseat for several mins until the turbulence lessened slightly. I asked a seated passenger to throw their blanket over the top of the cart, as I was unable to do so without falling. Another flight attendant complained of back pain as well as a passenger. I would suggest keeping the seatbelt sign on for a longer period of time when flying into or out of an area known for gusty winds (maui), even though the WX may appear calm. For flight attendants, it would be prudent to always keep the coffee server in the closed position. Also, flight attendants should immediately angle the cart into the seats and get down on the floor if it is impossible to get to their jumpseat. Tell passenger to put a blanket over the cart since it is safer and easier to do from a seated position. Also, keep open containers in an insert to avoid spillage. Turn inserts lengthwise to fit on top of cart, since it is impossible to lift them and place on the floor during turbulence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 FLT ATTENDANTS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AFTER THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB.

Narrative: SEVERE TO MODERATE TURB OCCURRED, ALL OF A SUDDEN, DURING BEVERAGE/SNACK SVC. THE UNEXPECTED MOTION FORCED ME DOWN TO A CROUCHING POS. ITEMS ON THE CART FELL OVER AND OFF THE CART. PAX SPILLED THEIR DRINKS. PAX WERE SCREAMING, CRYING AND VOMITING. I STRAINED MY BACK WHILE TRYING TO KEEP THE INSERT FROM FALLING ON PAX AND HOLDING ON TO A PAX SEAT IN A CROUCHING POS. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO WALK TO MY JUMPSEAT FOR SEVERAL MINS UNTIL THE TURB LESSENED SLIGHTLY. I ASKED A SEATED PAX TO THROW THEIR BLANKET OVER THE TOP OF THE CART, AS I WAS UNABLE TO DO SO WITHOUT FALLING. ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT COMPLAINED OF BACK PAIN AS WELL AS A PAX. I WOULD SUGGEST KEEPING THE SEATBELT SIGN ON FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME WHEN FLYING INTO OR OUT OF AN AREA KNOWN FOR GUSTY WINDS (MAUI), EVEN THOUGH THE WX MAY APPEAR CALM. FOR FLT ATTENDANTS, IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO ALWAYS KEEP THE COFFEE SERVER IN THE CLOSED POS. ALSO, FLT ATTENDANTS SHOULD IMMEDIATELY ANGLE THE CART INTO THE SEATS AND GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR IF IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET TO THEIR JUMPSEAT. TELL PAX TO PUT A BLANKET OVER THE CART SINCE IT IS SAFER AND EASIER TO DO FROM A SEATED POS. ALSO, KEEP OPEN CONTAINERS IN AN INSERT TO AVOID SPILLAGE. TURN INSERTS LENGTHWISE TO FIT ON TOP OF CART, SINCE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LIFT THEM AND PLACE ON THE FLOOR DURING 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.