Narrative:

Flight was on the sadde six arrival into lax with clearance to cross symon at 12000 ft. Our speed assigned earlier in the descent was 300 KTS or greater. Passing through 14000 ft the flight switched controllers and was cleared to 10000 ft. We were informed the flight was following a heavy and we would be slowed shortly. The flight was then assigned heading 160 degrees as we continued our descent. Suddenly just prior to leveloff the aircraft experienced wake turbulence with a moderate jolt up and down and a moderate 15-20 degree roll left. The captain made an immediate PA announcement for the flight attendants to be seated and slowed aircraft to 250 KTS. The incident lasted for approximately 15 seconds and then we returned to smooth flight conditions. The first officer informed approach about the wake turbulence encounter with a brief description of impact experienced. Approach stated he thought he had turned flight enough to avoid heavy track and we could slow to 250 KTS. Captain made PA announcement that flight attendants could resume service and then contacted cabin crew via interphone to assess cabin condition. The captain was informed that everything was ok; but that they had momentarily left their feet. I quickly explained what had occurred and again inquired as to the status in the cabin. I was again told everything in the cabin was ok. I passed the information on to the first officer and the flight continued without further incident. Upon shutdown at the gate; the captain was notified by the purser that the cabin needed extensive cleaning due to liquids that became airborne during the incident. Additionally; a gate supervisor was requested to address the needs of some passenger that received some of the flying liquids (tomato juice; soda and water). While debriefing; I discovered that the purser had fallen on her hands and she would be submitting a report to document her fall in the event of later medical problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB ON SADDE SIX ARR TO LAX.

Narrative: FLT WAS ON THE SADDE SIX ARR INTO LAX WITH CLRNC TO CROSS SYMON AT 12000 FT. OUR SPD ASSIGNED EARLIER IN THE DSCNT WAS 300 KTS OR GREATER. PASSING THROUGH 14000 FT THE FLT SWITCHED CTLRS AND WAS CLRED TO 10000 FT. WE WERE INFORMED THE FLT WAS FOLLOWING A HVY AND WE WOULD BE SLOWED SHORTLY. THE FLT WAS THEN ASSIGNED HDG 160 DEGS AS WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT. SUDDENLY JUST PRIOR TO LEVELOFF THE ACFT EXPERIENCED WAKE TURB WITH A MODERATE JOLT UP AND DOWN AND A MODERATE 15-20 DEG ROLL L. THE CAPT MADE AN IMMEDIATE PA ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE SEATED AND SLOWED ACFT TO 250 KTS. THE INCIDENT LASTED FOR APPROX 15 SECONDS AND THEN WE RETURNED TO SMOOTH FLT CONDITIONS. THE FO INFORMED APCH ABOUT THE WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER WITH A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF IMPACT EXPERIENCED. APCH STATED HE THOUGHT HE HAD TURNED FLT ENOUGH TO AVOID HVY TRACK AND WE COULD SLOW TO 250 KTS. CAPT MADE PA ANNOUNCEMENT THAT FLT ATTENDANTS COULD RESUME SVC AND THEN CONTACTED CABIN CREW VIA INTERPHONE TO ASSESS CABIN CONDITION. THE CAPT WAS INFORMED THAT EVERYTHING WAS OK; BUT THAT THEY HAD MOMENTARILY LEFT THEIR FEET. I QUICKLY EXPLAINED WHAT HAD OCCURRED AND AGAIN INQUIRED AS TO THE STATUS IN THE CABIN. I WAS AGAIN TOLD EVERYTHING IN THE CABIN WAS OK. I PASSED THE INFO ON TO THE FO AND THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON SHUTDOWN AT THE GATE; THE CAPT WAS NOTIFIED BY THE PURSER THAT THE CABIN NEEDED EXTENSIVE CLEANING DUE TO LIQUIDS THAT BECAME AIRBORNE DURING THE INCIDENT. ADDITIONALLY; A GATE SUPVR WAS REQUESTED TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF SOME PAX THAT RECEIVED SOME OF THE FLYING LIQUIDS (TOMATO JUICE; SODA AND WATER). WHILE DEBRIEFING; I DISCOVERED THAT THE PURSER HAD FALLEN ON HER HANDS AND SHE WOULD BE SUBMITTING A RPT TO DOCUMENT HER FALL IN THE EVENT OF LATER MEDICAL PROBS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.