Incident Overview
During a descent from flight level 290, an aircraft encountered severe turbulence. At the time, the first officer was pilot flying, the speed brakes were extended, and the airspeed was 290 knots. The weather radar was in use and showed no indications of conditions associated with turbulence. Air traffic control and other aircraft had not reported any turbulence.
Cabin and Crew Situation
The seat belt sign had been on for 10 minutes prior to the event. However, flight attendants were in the galleys and aisles performing duties related to the beginning of the descent. When the turbulence struck, they were thrown upward and then deposited into various positions on the floor and seats. Passengers who had not fastened their seat belts were also thrown vertically upward before being thrown back down.
Prior Turbulence Encounters
Earlier in the flight, flight attendants reported that the aircraft encountered "a little chop" during the climb. The "fasten seatbelt" sign was off until the flight entered an area of moderate turbulence, at which point the captain turned on the sign and made an announcement. The sign remained on for the rest of the flight.
Post-Event Actions
The aircraft was given priority handling for landing and landed at Atlanta without further incident. After landing, five flight attendants and three passengers were transported to area hospitals for their injuries. According to the source, three flight attendants in the aft galley were "pretty badly hurt." The airplane buffeted for 4-6 seconds. At the time of the turbulence, the flight attendants had just finished beverage service and were restocking the galley carts.
Injuries
Six flight attendants and three passengers sustained injuries requiring hospital transport. The source specifies that three flight attendants were "pretty badly hurt."