Incident Overview
A flight attendant aboard a Boeing 737 transport category airplane sustained serious injuries when the aircraft encountered wake turbulence while following a Boeing 747 during approach. The injured flight attendant was standing in the aft galley at the time of the event.
ATC and Flight Crew Actions
Air traffic controllers issued a wake turbulence caution to the 737, which was level at 10,000 feet and trailing behind the 747, also level at 10,000 feet. According to the accident flight crew, they trailed behind the 747 by 5 miles; however, they still experienced a sudden and violent roll to the left of about 35 degrees. The flight crew righted the airplane and offset their flight path to the north of the 747's flight path. The airplane then landed uneventfully.
Cabin Situation
Review of the aircraft's flight data recorder information revealed the fasten seat belt sign was illuminated and the passengers were all seated at the time of the event. However, the cabin attendants were not yet seated for landing. The Federal Aviation Administration's recommended procedures for avoiding wake turbulence while following another airplane (stay either on or above the preceding aircraft's flight path, upwind, or at least 1,000 feet below) was being followed at the time of the upset.
Aftermath
The injured flight attendant received medical attention. No further details about the injuries or subsequent actions are provided in the source.