20040629016449I

Incident

FAA incident report · Aircraft · New Orleans, LA · June 29, 2004

Date
June 29, 2004
Place
New Orleans, LA
Airport
New Orleans International-Moisant Fld
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
CALA
Aircraft
UNKNOWN
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) All three cabin crewmembers working flight 522 reported injuries due to turbulence. As part of an ongoing company campaign to reduce turbulence-related injuries, the crewmembers were interviewed following the incident. The following information is a summary of the statements made by each crewmember. Lead flight attendant privacy data omitted: according to privacy data omitted the incident occurred roughly 20 minutes after takeoff. ^privac^ and flight attendant privacy data omitted were conducting a beverage service, working aft-forward. She and the bar cart were just forward of the aft galley, approx row 25 or 26, when the aircraft encountered strong turbulence, sending crew and equipment into the air. ^privac^ recalls the aircraft took two big drops, the the flying smoothed out again. As FAR as ^privac^ can remember, the seat belt sign was on at the time, and all but two customers were seated, but there had been no turbulence prior to the incident. When the turbulence occurred, both crewmembers and the bar cart came off the floor. ^privac^ recalls landing on a customer seat, the the floor, hurting her back and hips. When the turbulence stopped, she was on the floor. Although ^privac^ does not recallone way or another, flight attendant ^priva^ later told ^privac^ while she was lying on the floor her eyes were half-shut and her eyes repeatedly rolled up and out of sight, apparently fading in and out of consciousness for a few minutes before feeling able to get up and move again. ^privac^ does not recall hitting an overhead bin or the ceiling. A doctor was on board, and she looked at ^privac^ to ensure she was all right. ^privac^ then assisted with clean-up and attended to 2 customers reporting head and neck pain as a result of being up and in the lavatories at the time of the turbulence. The flight was the final leg of the pairing and inbound to iah, so all three crewmembers visited the employee clinic after landing. ^privac^ was diagnosed with a strained lower back. She stated she also had extensive bruising across her body evident by that evening. Flight attendant privacy data omitted: during cruise flight privacy data omitted was in the main cabin aisle between the aft galley and the aft lavatories, assisting with the beverage service. privacy data omitted Thinks the seat belt sign was turned off at the time. The flight was very smooth with clear skies at the time of the turbulence. As privacy data omitted turned and bent to hand a drink to a customer, turbulence caused the aircraft to drop dramatically. privacy data omitted Michaelprivacy data omitted michaelprivacy data omitted shawna fennoprivacy data omitted michael quickly locked the cart in galley and notified the flight deck. After ^privac^ came to, both flight attendants began cleaning up and checking on customers. The cabin crew completed the appropriate paper work for two customers that hit their heads in the lavatories during turbulence. The rest of the flight continued without incident. The entire crew went to the clinic after the flight. The doctor found no significant injuries to privacy data omitted, but privacy data omitted stated he had pounding headaches for a few days. Flight attendant privacy data omitted ^: flight attendant ^pri^ was working f/c; during middle of service aircraft encountered clear-air turbulence. She does not remember whether or not the seat belt sign was still on. ^priv^ recalls handing beverages to customers in the aisle when the aircraft dropped. ^priv^ states she hit an overhead bin with the backside of her head and neck, the fell into a customer's lap. The customer held ^priv^ during the remaining seconds of turbulence. ^priv^ noticed as she looked to the main cabin the beverage cart was sideways in the aisle with debris scattered around cart. After the turbulence ended, ^priv^ made her way to the main cabin. A non-rev flight attendant told ^priv^ the lead flight attendant might be injured. Flight attendant privacy data omitted was laying in the aisle and a doctor was already present. ^priv^ states they gave pillows and ice to ^privac^. After a few minutes ^privac^ got up on her own. As FAR as ^priv^ can recall, three customers reported injuries, although she does not know the extend of the customers' injuries. All three flight attendants reported dizziness and headaches, according to ^priv^. The entire crew reported to the employee clinic after landing. The clinic doctor thought ^priv^ had swelling in her neck. The doctor gave ^priv^ anti-inflammatories and said to use cold packs for the swelling. Passenger injury summary not known by ASI.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ALL THREE CABIN CREWMEMBERS WORKING FLIGHT 522 REPORTED INJURIES DUE TO TURBULENCE. AS PART OF AN ONGOING COMPANY CAMPAIGN TO REDUCE TURBULENCE-RELATED INJURIES, THE CREWMEMBERS WERE INTERVIEWED FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS A SUMMARY OF THE STATEMENTS MADE BY EACH CREWMEMBER. LEAD FLIGHT ATTENDANT ^PRIVACY DATA^: ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY^ THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ROUGHLY 20 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF. ^PRIVAC^ AND FLIGHT ATTENDANT ^PRIVACY DA^ WERE CONDUCTING A BEVERAGE SERVICE, WORKING AFT-FORWARD. SHE AND THE BAR CART WERE JUST FORWARD OF THE AFT GALLEY, APPROX ROW 25 OR 26, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED STRONG TURBULENCE, SENDING CREW AND EQUIPMENT INTO THE AIR. ^PRIVAC^ RECALLS THE AIRCRAFT TOOK TWO BIG DROPS, THE THE FLYING SMOOTHED OUT AGAIN. AS FAR AS ^PRIVAC^ CAN REMEMBER, THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS ON AT THE TIME, AND ALL BUT TWO CUSTOMERS WERE SEATED, BUT THERE HAD BEEN NO TURBULENCE PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. WHEN THE TURBULENCE OCCURRED, BOTH CREWMEMBERS AND THE BAR CART CAME OFF THE FLOOR. ^PRIVAC^ RECALLS LANDING ON A CUSTOMER SEAT, THE THE FLOOR, HURTING HER BACK AND HIPS. WHEN THE TURBULENCE STOPPED, SHE WAS ON THE FLOOR. ALTHOUGH ^PRIVAC^ DOES NOT RECALLONE WAY OR ANOTHER, FLIGHT ATTENDANT ^PRIVA^ LATER TOLD ^PRIVAC^ WHILE SHE WAS LYING ON THE FLOOR HER EYES WERE HALF-SHUT AND HER EYES REPEATEDLY ROLLED UP AND OUT OF SIGHT, APPARENTLY FADING IN AND OUT OF CONSCIOUSNESS FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE FEELING ABLE TO GET UP AND MOVE AGAIN. ^PRIVAC^ DOES NOT RECALL HITTING AN OVERHEAD BIN OR THE CEILING. A DOCTOR WAS ON BOARD, AND SHE LOOKED AT ^PRIVAC^ TO ENSURE SHE WAS ALL RIGHT. ^PRIVAC^ THEN ASSISTED WITH CLEAN-UP AND ATTENDED TO 2 CUSTOMERS REPORTING HEAD AND NECK PAIN AS A RESULT OF BEING UP AND IN THE LAVATORIES AT THE TIME OF THE TURBULENCE. THE FLIGHT WAS THE FINAL LEG OF THE PAIRING AND INBOUND TO IAH, SO ALL THREE CREWMEMBERS VISITED THE EMPLOYEE CLINIC AFTER LANDING. ^PRIVAC^ WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A STRAINED LOWER BACK. SHE STATED SHE ALSO HAD EXTENSIVE BRUISING ACROSS HER BODY EVIDENT BY THAT EVENING. FLIGHT ATTENDANT ^PRIVACY DA^: DURING CRUISE FLIGHT ^PRIVACY^ WAS IN THE MAIN CABIN AISLE BETWEEN THE AFT GALLEY AND THE AFT LAVATORIES, ASSISTING WITH THE BEVERAGE SERVICE. ^PRIVACY^ THINKS THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS TURNED OFF AT THE TIME. THE FLIGHT WAS VERY SMOOTH WITH CLEAR SKIES AT THE TIME OF THE TURBULENCE. AS ^PRIVACY^ TURNED AND BENT TO HAND A DRINK TO A CUSTOMER, TURBULENCE CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DROP DRAMATICALLY. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MICHAEL^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MICHAEL^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SHAWNA FENNO^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MICHAEL QUICKLY LOCKED THE CART IN GALLEY AND NOTIFIED THE FLIGHT DECK. AFTER ^PRIVAC^ CAME TO, BOTH FLIGHT ATTENDANTS BEGAN CLEANING UP AND CHECKING ON CUSTOMERS. THE CABIN CREW COMPLETED THE APPROPRIATE PAPER WORK FOR TWO CUSTOMERS THAT HIT THEIR HEADS IN THE LAVATORIES DURING TURBULENCE. THE REST OF THE FLIGHT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE ENTIRE CREW WENT TO THE CLINIC AFTER THE FLIGHT. THE DOCTOR FOUND NO SIGNIFICANT INJURIES TO ^PRIVACY^, BUT ^PRIVACY^ STATED HE HAD POUNDING HEADACHES FOR A FEW DAYS. FLIGHT ATTENDANT ^PRIVACY ^: FLIGHT ATTENDANT ^PRI^ WAS WORKING F/C; DURING MIDDLE OF SERVICE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED CLEAR-AIR TURBULENCE. SHE DOES NOT REMEMBER WHETHER OR NOT THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS STILL ON. ^PRIV^ RECALLS HANDING BEVERAGES TO CUSTOMERS IN THE AISLE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED. ^PRIV^ STATES SHE HIT AN OVERHEAD BIN WITH THE BACKSIDE OF HER HEAD AND NECK, THE FELL INTO A CUSTOMER'S LAP. THE CUSTOMER HELD ^PRIV^ DURING THE REMAINING SECONDS OF TURBULENCE. ^PRIV^ NOTICED AS SHE LOOKED TO THE MAIN CABIN THE BEVERAGE CART WAS SIDEWAYS IN THE AISLE WITH DEBRIS SCATTERED AROUND CART. AFTER THE TURBULENCE ENDED, ^PRIV^ MADE HER WAY TO THE MAIN CABIN. A NON-REV FLIGHT ATTENDANT TOLD ^PRIV^ THE LEAD FLIGHT ATTENDANT MIGHT BE INJURED. FLIGHT ATTENDANT ^PRIVACY DATA^ WAS LAYING IN THE AISLE AND A DOCTOR WAS ALREADY PRESENT. ^PRIV^ STATES THEY GAVE PILLOWS AND ICE TO ^PRIVAC^. AFTER A FEW MINUTES ^PRIVAC^ GOT UP ON HER OWN. AS FAR AS ^PRIV^ CAN RECALL, THREE CUSTOMERS REPORTED INJURIES, ALTHOUGH SHE DOES NOT KNOW THE EXTEND OF THE CUSTOMERS' INJURIES. ALL THREE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS REPORTED DIZZINESS AND HEADACHES, ACCORDING TO ^PRIV^. THE ENTIRE CREW REPORTED TO THE EMPLOYEE CLINIC AFTER LANDING. THE CLINIC DOCTOR THOUGHT ^PRIV^ HAD SWELLING IN HER NECK. THE DOCTOR GAVE ^PRIV^ ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES AND SAID TO USE COLD PACKS FOR THE SWELLING. PASSENGER INJURY SUMMARY NOT KNOWN BY ASI.