CABIN ATTENDANT RPT; B757; ORD-SJU. NMAC AT FL290 WITH LEARJET. CABIN ATTENDANT THROWN TO FLOOR AND INJURED. LEAR PLT; AT WRONG ALT; ARGUED WITH ATC. CABIN ATTENDANT TAKEN TO HOSPITAL IN SJU.

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AS WE WERE SERVING LUNCH AND DRINKS IN THE AISLE; WE WERE ALL SUDDENLY LAID OUT ON THE FLOOR; IN THE AISLE OF THE ACFT. WE HAD NO IDEA HOW OR WHY WE WERE THERE. WE FOUND OUT SHORTLY AFTERWARD THAT WE HAD MADE A RAPID ASCENSION TO AVOID HITTING A LEARJET HEAD-ON. APPARENTLY; WE WERE 7-14 SECONDS AWAY FROM IMPACT. THE CAPT WAS GOING TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG IN ATLANTA; AS ALL 5 OF US (FLT ATTENDANTS) WERE HURT. WE CHOSE TO CONTINUE TO SJU; AS WE WERE ALMOST FINISHED WITH OUR SVC; AND WOULD MAKE IT THE REST OF THE WAY. I AM MOST THANKFUL THAT WE ASCENDED; RATHER THAN TO DSND; AS WE WOULD MOST LIKELY ALL HAVE BROKEN BACKS AT THE VERY LEAST. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN ALL TRUTHFULNESS. WE WERE TOLD THE LEARJET WAS FLYING AT THE WRONG ALT AND WAS ARGUING ABOUT HIS POS WITH THE AIR TFC CTLR. IF SO; I HOPE HE HAS HIS LICENSE YANKED! I HAVE HAD MY FAIR SHORE OF 'INCIDENTS;' BUT THIS WAS BY FAR THE WORST THING THAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH IN 13 YRS. IT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY! I HAVE FAITH IN MY COMPANY AND THE SAFETY OF OUR ACFT; BUT AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS LEAVES YOU VERY SHAKY; FOR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY OUT OF OUR HANDS AND CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE CAPT MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR BOTH PAX AND CABIN CREW SIMULTANEOUSLY; THAT THEY HAD BEEN 7-14 SECONDS AWAY FROM A COLLISION. THE COPLT TOLD THE CABIN CREW IN THEIR DEBRIEFING THAT THE LEARJET'S ALTIMETER WAS MALFUNCTIONING; BUT THE LEAR PLT INSISTED TO ATC THAT IT WAS NORMAL. ATC INSISTED HE WAS AT FL290 AND THE LEAR PLT SAID THAT HE WAS AT FL280; BUT THE LEAR PLT KEPT ARGUING; SAYING THAT HE KNEW THE DIFFERENCE BTWN FL280 AND FL290. THE COCKPIT COMPUTER ON RPTR'S PLANE TOLD THE PLTS TO ASCEND 3000 FT. THEY DID ASCEND 3000 FT IN 30 SECONDS. A DEADHEADING PLT IN FIRST CLASS ACTUALLY SAW THE LEARJET GO UNDERNEATH THEIR WINGS. THE CABIN CREW WERE ALL HURT; BUT DIDN'T REALIZE TO WHAT EXTENT; BECAUSE THEY WERE IN AN ADRENALINE RUSH. THEY ALL WENT TO THE HOSPITAL TO BE TREATED FOR BACK; KNEE AND ARM INJURIES; AND DEADHEADED HOME THE NEXT DAY. THE RPTR SAID SHE HAS BEEN SEVERELY TRAUMATIZED BY THE INCIDENT. SHE SITS ON THE JUMP SEAT AND JUST CRIES WHEN ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY HAPPENS ON THE PLANE. SHE CRIED CONSTANTLY FOR A WK AFTER THE INCIDENT.