FLT ATTENDANT RPT; B767-300ER; DALLAS-MANCHESTER; ENGLAND. MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB MIDWAY OVER ATLANTIC. ANTI-YAW THROWN OUT OF AUTOMATIC.

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OUR CAPT SAID THERE WAS TURB RPTED MID TRIP OF A LITTLE LATER. AFTER THE DINNER SVC; THE CHOP STARTED AND GOT STEADILY WORSE. WE HAD HAD TIME TO SECURE THINGS BUT THE SHAKING WAS THE WORST I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN MY 29 YRS AND CONTINUED FOR AT LEAST 10 MINS. THE INTL RELIEF PLT OR FO SAID LATER THE CHOP HAD BEEN BAD ENOUGH TO THROW OUT THE ANTI-YAW DEVICE; AND THEY HAD RPTED IT AS MODERATE TO SEVERE CHOP. THE INTL RELIEF PLT OR FO SAID THEY HAD BEEN ASKED OVER THE RADIO (I ASSUME BY ACR) IF THEY WERE SURE THEY WANTED TO RPT MODERATE TO SEVERE CHOP; KNOWING WHAT THE WORD 'SEVERE' WOULD TRIGGER (GND CHKS I ASSUME). HE TOLD ME ABOUT THE ANTI-YAW BEING THROWN OUT OF AUTOMATIC. THE NEXT DAY; I ASKED THE MANCHESTER AGENT ABOUT THE ACFT; AND HE SAID IT WAS GONE AND THERE HAD BEEN NO DELAY OF FLT. HE SAID THE RPT NO LONGER REFLECTED SEVERE CHOP. I TRUST OUR PLTS VERY MUCH; BUT AM FRUSTRATED TO THINK THEY COULD BE MADE TO FEEL PRESSURE TO CHANGE OR RETHINK INITIAL PERCEPTIONS INVOLVING FLT SAFETY. PERHAPS THIS ACFT COULD TAKE THE SHAKING FOR DAYS; BUT IT SCARED THE HECK OUT OF ME AND THE PAX TOO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAD A VERY FRANK DISCUSSION WITH THE FO; AND HE SAID THAT THE THEIR COMPANY'S HEADQUARTERS ASKED THE PLTS OVER THE RADIO IF THEY REALLY WANTED TO RPT IT AS MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB; AS 'DO YOU KNOW WHAT WORK THAT WOULD ENTAIL?' SHE LATER FOUND OUT THROUGH HER OPS CHIEF FLT ATTENDANT MGR THAT THE PLTS DID; INDEED; RPT IT AS SEVERE TO MODERATE TURB. SHE WAS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE PLANE TURNED AROUND IN MANCHESTER; AS THE AIRLINE'S PLANES DO AT HEATHROW; IN 2-3 HRS. AS IT TURNS OUT; SHE REALLY ONLY MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE PLANE DID NOT SIT OVERNIGHT FOR NORMAL MAINT; WHICH IT PROBABLY SAT LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE THE MANDATORY CHK AFTER THE PLANE HAS GONE THROUGH MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB. THE CHIEF PLT AT THE TRAINING CTR SAID THAT THE PLTS FOLLOWED PROPER PROCS.