Narrative:

Captain called back to cabin to inform flight attendants it would be turbulent descending into dfw, so I suggested we go ahead and prepare cabin for landing. We had been experiencing light chop for most of the last hour. Cabin crew picked up remaining service items when rough turbulence started (approximately 7 mins after captain had said 'prepare'). I was sitting on forward jumpseat, but without any safety harness on (I had just sat down) when the plane dropped suddenly. The closest door in front of me was open and I observed all the hangars and 1 light hanging bag of clothes rise up off the bar and fall to the closet floor. We experienced a couple more mins of severe turbulence when the captain called to check and see if everyone was ok and to tell us we were through it. All passenger were seated with seatbelts on (as the flight attendants had just finished compliance check) and no passenger were injured. 1 flight attendant in the back sat on the floor at the first sign of turbulence and was not hurt. However, flight attendant that was standing at time of severe drop hit her head on the ceiling and broke her foot. Although captain had given notice to flight attendants and we were trying to prepare cabin, the sudden loss of altitude was completely unexpected. I believe the flight attendants were doing the right thing and the 1 flight attendant who was hurt was just an unfortunate accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD-S80 FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE PREPARED THE CABIN FOR TURB BEFORE ARR AT DFW, BUT WAS UNABLE TO FASTEN HER HARNESS BEFORE EXPERIENCING TURB. TURB CAUSED INJURY TO ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT.

Narrative: CAPT CALLED BACK TO CABIN TO INFORM FLT ATTENDANTS IT WOULD BE TURBULENT DSNDING INTO DFW, SO I SUGGESTED WE GO AHEAD AND PREPARE CABIN FOR LNDG. WE HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING LIGHT CHOP FOR MOST OF THE LAST HR. CABIN CREW PICKED UP REMAINING SVC ITEMS WHEN ROUGH TURB STARTED (APPROX 7 MINS AFTER CAPT HAD SAID 'PREPARE'). I WAS SITTING ON FORWARD JUMPSEAT, BUT WITHOUT ANY SAFETY HARNESS ON (I HAD JUST SAT DOWN) WHEN THE PLANE DROPPED SUDDENLY. THE CLOSEST DOOR IN FRONT OF ME WAS OPEN AND I OBSERVED ALL THE HANGARS AND 1 LIGHT HANGING BAG OF CLOTHES RISE UP OFF THE BAR AND FALL TO THE CLOSET FLOOR. WE EXPERIENCED A COUPLE MORE MINS OF SEVERE TURB WHEN THE CAPT CALLED TO CHK AND SEE IF EVERYONE WAS OK AND TO TELL US WE WERE THROUGH IT. ALL PAX WERE SEATED WITH SEATBELTS ON (AS THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD JUST FINISHED COMPLIANCE CHK) AND NO PAX WERE INJURED. 1 FLT ATTENDANT IN THE BACK SAT ON THE FLOOR AT THE FIRST SIGN OF TURB AND WAS NOT HURT. HOWEVER, FLT ATTENDANT THAT WAS STANDING AT TIME OF SEVERE DROP HIT HER HEAD ON THE CEILING AND BROKE HER FOOT. ALTHOUGH CAPT HAD GIVEN NOTICE TO FLT ATTENDANTS AND WE WERE TRYING TO PREPARE CABIN, THE SUDDEN LOSS OF ALT WAS COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED. I BELIEVE THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE DOING THE RIGHT THING AND THE 1 FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS HURT WAS JUST AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT.

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.