A Q400 flight attendant reported visual and cognitive disorientation after approximately six flight ...

Narrative:

I was flight attendant B and was filling out the supply order list after in-flight service. My vision was impaired; I had my reading glasses on and still had big black holes in my vision. This has never happened before; been flying on same aircraft all day; approximately 6 hours. I stopped and ate some food from own supply. It seemed to get a little better; so I could finish the list. Finished duties; then I went to say my taxi-in PA; I was referencing to the PA cheat sheet we have and I couldn't comprehend what I was looking at; I could see the words but could not get them out (very bizarre and alarming; never happened before). I did the best I could to finish announcement; only a few odd words would come out; I'm pretty sure I was unable to get out the entire 'no smoking' PA. We had a break before next flight and I collected myself and felt normal again. The next and last flight was fine and no problems with my duties (different aircraft). I do not know why this happened. The symptoms came out of the blue and subsided after I exited off the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A Q400 Flight Attendant reported visual and cognitive disorientation after approximately six flight hours on the same aircraft. The symptoms abated during flight on a different aircraft the same day.

Narrative: I was Flight Attendant B and was filling out the supply order list after in-flight service. My vision was impaired; I had my reading glasses on and still had big black holes in my vision. This has never happened before; been flying on same aircraft all day; approximately 6 hours. I stopped and ate some food from own supply. It seemed to get a little better; so I could finish the list. Finished duties; then I went to say my Taxi-In PA; I was referencing to the PA cheat sheet we have and I couldn't comprehend what I was looking at; I could see the words but could not get them out (very bizarre and alarming; never happened before). I did the best I could to finish announcement; only a few odd words would come out; I'm pretty sure I was unable to get out the entire 'No Smoking' PA. We had a break before next flight and I collected myself and felt normal again. The next and last flight was fine and no problems with my duties (different aircraft). I do not know why this happened. The symptoms came out of the blue and subsided after I exited off the aircraft.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	977122
Time
Date	201110
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Q400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Taxi Cruise
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Qualification	Flight Attendant Current
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness

A Q400 flight attendant reported visual and cognitive disorientation after approximately six flight hours on the same aircraft. The symptoms abated during flight on a different aircraft the same day.