Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff, all passenger were seated with seatbelts on. Flight attendants standing in preparation to start the beverage service. The cockpit had sounded the second chime, which indicates it is safe for flight attendants to stand and perform our duties. I was standing at door 4L when we hit what felt like severe turbulence at FL230. I sat down in the 4L jumpseat with my serving jacket on my lap. The plane plummeted so fast that my jacket ended up on my head. I struggled into the jumpseat harness. Because it was bumpy, I could get the harness over my shoulders, but when I tried to pull down to attach at my waste, it would lock. As quickly as the turbulence started it stopped. During the turbulence, I saw flight attendant #2 holding onto the assist handle in the aft galley, as 2 of the cart inserts plummeted to the floor. They were the only galley items not locked in their secured position. We remained seated until the captain said we could resume our duties. Once the captain said it was safe for flight attendants to stand, we checked all of the passenger and found that they were uninjured. We maintained service throughout the entire flight. It was a great help having jumpseats available to us. I experienced minor lower back pain on the flight and took an aleve, which seemed to help. Supplemental information from acn 637794: severe turbulence struck. I was airborne -- 3-4 ft off floor. My flight bag flew out of seat almost hitting the ceiling, flipped over and smashed to floor 2 ft away from seat it was in. I was pretty much doing the same thing. I flew up, slammed into door 4R bustle and then back against the aft wall and jumpseat area. All galley items that were out for our beverage service were smashed to the floor. Juice cartons were flattened. All flight attendants were banged up and sore. Today is 10 days later and my body (especially my back) is still sore. Corrective action: who knows what caused it. Clear air turbulence?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 EXPERIENCED SEVERE TURB ON CLBOUT WITH FLT ATTENDANTS OUT OF SEATS, BUT PAX WERE SEATED.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, ALL PAX WERE SEATED WITH SEATBELTS ON. FLT ATTENDANTS STANDING IN PREPARATION TO START THE BEVERAGE SVC. THE COCKPIT HAD SOUNDED THE SECOND CHIME, WHICH INDICATES IT IS SAFE FOR FLT ATTENDANTS TO STAND AND PERFORM OUR DUTIES. I WAS STANDING AT DOOR 4L WHEN WE HIT WHAT FELT LIKE SEVERE TURB AT FL230. I SAT DOWN IN THE 4L JUMPSEAT WITH MY SERVING JACKET ON MY LAP. THE PLANE PLUMMETED SO FAST THAT MY JACKET ENDED UP ON MY HEAD. I STRUGGLED INTO THE JUMPSEAT HARNESS. BECAUSE IT WAS BUMPY, I COULD GET THE HARNESS OVER MY SHOULDERS, BUT WHEN I TRIED TO PULL DOWN TO ATTACH AT MY WASTE, IT WOULD LOCK. AS QUICKLY AS THE TURB STARTED IT STOPPED. DURING THE TURB, I SAW FLT ATTENDANT #2 HOLDING ONTO THE ASSIST HANDLE IN THE AFT GALLEY, AS 2 OF THE CART INSERTS PLUMMETED TO THE FLOOR. THEY WERE THE ONLY GALLEY ITEMS NOT LOCKED IN THEIR SECURED POS. WE REMAINED SEATED UNTIL THE CAPT SAID WE COULD RESUME OUR DUTIES. ONCE THE CAPT SAID IT WAS SAFE FOR FLT ATTENDANTS TO STAND, WE CHKED ALL OF THE PAX AND FOUND THAT THEY WERE UNINJURED. WE MAINTAINED SVC THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FLT. IT WAS A GREAT HELP HAVING JUMPSEATS AVAILABLE TO US. I EXPERIENCED MINOR LOWER BACK PAIN ON THE FLT AND TOOK AN ALEVE, WHICH SEEMED TO HELP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 637794: SEVERE TURB STRUCK. I WAS AIRBORNE -- 3-4 FT OFF FLOOR. MY FLT BAG FLEW OUT OF SEAT ALMOST HITTING THE CEILING, FLIPPED OVER AND SMASHED TO FLOOR 2 FT AWAY FROM SEAT IT WAS IN. I WAS PRETTY MUCH DOING THE SAME THING. I FLEW UP, SLAMMED INTO DOOR 4R BUSTLE AND THEN BACK AGAINST THE AFT WALL AND JUMPSEAT AREA. ALL GALLEY ITEMS THAT WERE OUT FOR OUR BEVERAGE SVC WERE SMASHED TO THE FLOOR. JUICE CARTONS WERE FLATTENED. ALL FLT ATTENDANTS WERE BANGED UP AND SORE. TODAY IS 10 DAYS LATER AND MY BODY (ESPECIALLY MY BACK) IS STILL SORE. CORRECTIVE ACTION: WHO KNOWS WHAT CAUSED IT. CLR AIR 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.