Narrative:

Approximately 1.5 hours into flight, while completing meal/beverage cart service, we hit moderate to severe chop when the aircraft dropped. Everything on top of cart fell to floor -- including myself. I was forced downward onto an armrest with a hard impact to my right thigh and felt a jolt to right side of my body. It appears this was clear air turbulence and caught us by surprise. However, the forward part of the aircraft did not feel the full impact as I did in the aft part of the aircraft. Everyone (flight attendants) took their jumpseats. The captain made his PA to fasten seatbelts. He was informed of the events in my cabin and that I had been affected by the fall. It is difficult to suggest a concrete solution for preventing these types of incidents. However, loose items on top of meal/beverage carts can be better secured by a new design to prevent hot liquids, coffee pots/containers from becoming flying missiles and injuring passenger/crew. As for crew injuries, early warnings and stricter regulations between flight crews when any known possibility of turbulence is about to happen. In my case, the cabin crew was not aware of anything, and if the cockpit was aware, they need to have us take our seats sooner than later. That would have prevented my pain and bruises and limping after the fact not to mention there could have been many more passenger/crew injured by hot liquids and flying objects from the top of our loaded carts.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CABIN ATTENDANT RPT OF AN INJURY SUFFERED FROM AN INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH CLR AIR TURB ON AN EXTENDED OVERWATER OP ON FREQ WITH EGPX, FO.

Narrative: APPROX 1.5 HRS INTO FLT, WHILE COMPLETING MEAL/BEVERAGE CART SVC, WE HIT MODERATE TO SEVERE CHOP WHEN THE ACFT DROPPED. EVERYTHING ON TOP OF CART FELL TO FLOOR -- INCLUDING MYSELF. I WAS FORCED DOWNWARD ONTO AN ARMREST WITH A HARD IMPACT TO MY R THIGH AND FELT A JOLT TO R SIDE OF MY BODY. IT APPEARS THIS WAS CLR AIR TURB AND CAUGHT US BY SURPRISE. HOWEVER, THE FORWARD PART OF THE ACFT DID NOT FEEL THE FULL IMPACT AS I DID IN THE AFT PART OF THE ACFT. EVERYONE (FLT ATTENDANTS) TOOK THEIR JUMPSEATS. THE CAPT MADE HIS PA TO FASTEN SEATBELTS. HE WAS INFORMED OF THE EVENTS IN MY CABIN AND THAT I HAD BEEN AFFECTED BY THE FALL. IT IS DIFFICULT TO SUGGEST A CONCRETE SOLUTION FOR PREVENTING THESE TYPES OF INCIDENTS. HOWEVER, LOOSE ITEMS ON TOP OF MEAL/BEVERAGE CARTS CAN BE BETTER SECURED BY A NEW DESIGN TO PREVENT HOT LIQUIDS, COFFEE POTS/CONTAINERS FROM BECOMING FLYING MISSILES AND INJURING PAX/CREW. AS FOR CREW INJURIES, EARLY WARNINGS AND STRICTER REGS BTWN FLT CREWS WHEN ANY KNOWN POSSIBILITY OF TURB IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IN MY CASE, THE CABIN CREW WAS NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING, AND IF THE COCKPIT WAS AWARE, THEY NEED TO HAVE US TAKE OUR SEATS SOONER THAN LATER. THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED MY PAIN AND BRUISES AND LIMPING AFTER THE FACT NOT TO MENTION THERE COULD HAVE BEEN MANY MORE PAX/CREW INJURED BY HOT LIQUIDS AND FLYING OBJECTS FROM THE TOP OF OUR LOADED CARTS.

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.