Narrative:

We were told before takeoff there may be some turbulence and to stay seated. We did, but when we got above the clouds, it seemed to be smooth for a long time, so I got up to put some meals in the oven. Purser called and said we could get up, but no carts yet. The captain made a PA and said for the flight attendant's to be seated. I sat in my jump seat facing the coach cabin and fastened my seatbelt. Almost immediately, we hit an air pocket and I could see that 2 coach flight attendant's had been knocked to the floor and were just laying there. I told the #7 sitting behind me and she called the back. All four flight attendant's had been hurt. The air was smooth after that one bump. I went to the coach galley and saw 2 laying and one sitting on the floor. The fourth was on a jump seat. The purser came back so I went to business class galley to get the service started. I then went to the coach galley and locked everything up. A few mins later, we were advised by the purser that we were going to land in ZZZ. The paramedics took off the four injured flight attendant's. This is to comment on what I think needs improvement in regards to preventing accidents on all aircraft. I do not know if the coach flight attendant's could hear the captain's PA or not. In an emergency situation, reaching the cockpit by phone is not usually an option as they may not answer the phone due to being busy trying to take care of the emergency situation. The public address system on all aircraft is inadequate. Especially on B767 aft part of coach cabin and behind the coach partition where the jump seats are located as well as the galley. Additionally, most of the coach passenger in the aft part of the cabin cannot clearly hear the PA. The first class galley also has many hearing limitations. Many times when I work that position, I have to go into the first class cabin to hear. When the ovens and galley chillers are operating, the noise adds to the sits and the noise of the engines. We need more speakers and better quality throughout every airplane so the flight attendant's can always hear the PA's. Especially good speakers need to be installed near flight attendant jump seats. Previously, when on dc-10 aircraft, I could not hear the PA nor see the video while sitting in a coach seat, as I am only 5 ft 2 in. The same is true with the B767. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: no new information was derived from the callback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FOUR FA'S INJURED DURING TURB ENCOUNTER WHEN EARLIER ADVISED OF THE POTENTIAL FOR TURB ON DEP.

Narrative: WE WERE TOLD BEFORE TKOF THERE MAY BE SOME TURB AND TO STAY SEATED. WE DID, BUT WHEN WE GOT ABOVE THE CLOUDS, IT SEEMED TO BE SMOOTH FOR A LONG TIME, SO I GOT UP TO PUT SOME MEALS IN THE OVEN. PURSER CALLED AND SAID WE COULD GET UP, BUT NO CARTS YET. THE CAPT MADE A PA AND SAID FOR THE FA'S TO BE SEATED. I SAT IN MY JUMP SEAT FACING THE COACH CABIN AND FASTENED MY SEATBELT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, WE HIT AN AIR POCKET AND I COULD SEE THAT 2 COACH FA'S HAD BEEN KNOCKED TO THE FLOOR AND WERE JUST LAYING THERE. I TOLD THE #7 SITTING BEHIND ME AND SHE CALLED THE BACK. ALL FOUR FA'S HAD BEEN HURT. THE AIR WAS SMOOTH AFTER THAT ONE BUMP. I WENT TO THE COACH GALLEY AND SAW 2 LAYING AND ONE SITTING ON THE FLOOR. THE FOURTH WAS ON A JUMP SEAT. THE PURSER CAME BACK SO I WENT TO BUSINESS CLASS GALLEY TO GET THE SERVICE STARTED. I THEN WENT TO THE COACH GALLEY AND LOCKED EVERYTHING UP. A FEW MINS LATER, WE WERE ADVISED BY THE PURSER THAT WE WERE GOING TO LAND IN ZZZ. THE PARAMEDICS TOOK OFF THE FOUR INJURED FA'S. THIS IS TO COMMENT ON WHAT I THINK NEEDS IMPROVEMENT IN REGARDS TO PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ON ALL ACFT. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE COACH FA'S COULD HEAR THE CAPT'S PA OR NOT. IN AN EMER SIT, REACHING THE COCKPIT BY PHONE IS NOT USUALLY AN OPTION AS THEY MAY NOT ANSWER THE PHONE DUE TO BEING BUSY TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF THE EMER SIT. THE PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM ON ALL ACFT IS INADEQUATE. ESPECIALLY ON B767 AFT PART OF COACH CABIN AND BEHIND THE COACH PARTITION WHERE THE JUMP SEATS ARE LOCATED AS WELL AS THE GALLEY. ADDITIONALLY, MOST OF THE COACH PAX IN THE AFT PART OF THE CABIN CANNOT CLEARLY HEAR THE PA. THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY ALSO HAS MANY HEARING LIMITATIONS. MANY TIMES WHEN I WORK THAT POSITION, I HAVE TO GO INTO THE FIRST CLASS CABIN TO HEAR. WHEN THE OVENS AND GALLEY CHILLERS ARE OPERATING, THE NOISE ADDS TO THE SITS AND THE NOISE OF THE ENGINES. WE NEED MORE SPEAKERS AND BETTER QUALITY THROUGHOUT EVERY AIRPLANE SO THE FA'S CAN ALWAYS HEAR THE PA'S. ESPECIALLY GOOD SPEAKERS NEED TO BE INSTALLED NEAR FA JUMP SEATS. PREVIOUSLY, WHEN ON DC-10 ACFT, I COULD NOT HEAR THE PA NOR SEE THE VIDEO WHILE SITTING IN A COACH SEAT, AS I AM ONLY 5 FT 2 IN. THE SAME IS TRUE WITH THE B767. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: NO NEW INFO WAS DERIVED FROM THE CALLBACK.

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.