PLT RPT; B757; MIA-POS; UNEXPECTED STRONG TURB AT FL330 BTWN MIA-POS. CABIN ATTENDANTS THROWN AROUND; PAX SCREAMING; BUT NO INJURIES.

Narrative

FREQ/ALT: NA/FL330. ATC FACILITY: SAN JUAN CTR. LOCATION: 140 NM NW ANADA; 45 NM NW TISX; ENRTE. WHILE FLYING FROM MIA TO POS AT FL330; WE WERE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY IN AN AREA OF VERY STRONG MODERATE TURB. WHILE THERE WAS MINIMAL ALT VARIATION; THE ACFT WAS TOSSED ABOUT FOR 15-20 SECONDS; FOLLOWED VERY SOON BY ANOTHER EPISODE OF SLIGHTLY SHORTER DURATION. FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE FORWARD GALLEY WERE THROWN TO THE FLOOR; AND THOSE IN THE BACK; WHILE SEATED; WERE UNABLE TO PUT ON THEIR SEAT BELTS; AS THE MOTION OF THE ACFT DID NOT ALLOW THE INERTIAL REELS IN THE BELTS TO RELEASE FAR ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE BELTS TO BE FASTENED. I WAS INFORMED THAT PAX WERE SCREAMING. THE PURSER; FLT ATTENDANT #1; CHKED WITH EACH AND EVERY PAX AFTER THE INCIDENT; TO ASCERTAIN THEIR STATUS. NO INJURIES WERE RPTED AT THE TIME. OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS WENT THROUGH THE ACFT LATER AS A SECOND CHK AND NO INJURIES WERE RPTED. IN THE COCKPIT; WE HAD PAINTED WX FAR AHEAD; WHICH WE WERE PREPARING TO CIRCUMNAV; BUT WE HAD NO WARNING OF THE TURB WHICH WE ENCOUNTERED. WE IMMEDIATELY RPTED THE INCIDENT TO SAN JUAN CTR. A DSCNT AND LNDG WERE MADE INTO POS WITHOUT INCIDENT.