IN A NIGHT OP ARR IN AN AREA OF TSTM ACTIVITY; THERE WERE NUMEROUS FLT ATTENDANT INJURIES RPTED IN A B777 DURING DSCNT INTO JFK; NY.

Narrative

FROM OUR DEP IN SAO PAULO WE EXPERIENCED A LIGHT TO MODERATE ROUGH AIR (CHOP). IT FELT LIKE THE PLANE WAS TRAVELING SO FAST IT WAS SHAKING APART. I CALLED THE COCKPIT ONCE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE WERE HAVING A TOUGH TIME WALKING DUE TO CHOP AND I WAS CONCERNED THAT PAX WERE IGNORING THE SEATBELT SIGN BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN ON SO LONG. I WAS TOLD WE WERE TRYING TO SAVE FUEL BY TRAVELING AT THIS RATE AND THAT WE WERE BOXED INTO THIS ALT FOR NOW BY TFC. THE FLT SEEMED TO SMOOTH OUT ABOUT 1/2 HR LATER; BUT I REMEMBER SITTING DOWN FOR MY BREAK AND BEING UNABLE TO REST DUE TO A CONSTANT LIGHT; JARRING CHOP. WE STARTED BREAKFAST SVC AT XA15; 15 MINS EARLIER THAN USUAL BECAUSE WITH THE TAILWIND OR SPD WE WERE ARRIVING MORE THAN 30 MINS BEFORE SCHEDULE. I WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK R-HAND SIDE COACH CABIN. AFTER I PICKED UP SVC ITEMS AND TRAYS IN COACH; I DID A DOUBLE-CAREFUL SEATBELT CHK. I HAD NOTICED AT LEAST 2 KIDS SLEEPING ON SEATS WITHOUT BELTS ON WHILE THEIR PARENTS WERE IN THE LAVATORY OR WANDERING AROUND. I DID STRAP THOSE LITTLE ONES IN AS WELL AS I COULD AND MOVED TO BUSINESS CLASS. I SAW AT LEAST 4 TRAYS OUT. SINCE WE WERE ABOUT 20 MINS FROM TOUCHDOWN (LNDG); I CLRED 2 TRAYS AND MADE MY WAY TO THE GALLEY; BRACING MY LEGS IN THE AISLE BTWN THE SEATS. ABOUT THE TIME I REACHED THE 2R DOOR BY THE ENTERTAINMENT MODULE; THERE WAS A HARD JOLT. I TRIED TO HAND A TRAY TO ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT SO I COULD GRAB SOMETHING AND STABILIZE MYSELF. I RELEASED ONE TRAY; THEN FELT AIRBORNE BRIEFLY; BEFORE FEELING LIKE A RAG DOLL SMASHED INTO THE FLOOR. MY LEGS FLEW OUT FROM UNDER ME AND I LANDED HARD ON MY R ELBOW THEN ROLLED TO MY L HIP. THERE WAS NO FREE HAND HOLD I COULD GRAB. I HEARD LOTS OF CRASHING CHINA AND GLASSWARE; THE BUSINESS AND FIRST CLASS GALLEY COMPARTMENTS EMPTIED THEMSELVES OF THEIR CONTENTS; MUCH OF IT LANDING ON TOP OF OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BUSINESS GALLEY THAT I COULD SEE. IT'S A MIRACLE NO ONE WAS CUT. I CRAWLED TO THE 2L JUMPSEAT AND STRAPPED IN. MY R ELBOW WAS SCRAPED; BRUISED AND SWOLLEN. I GOT SOME ICE FROM ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT. I MADE MY WAY BACK TO THE 4R JUMPSEAT FOR LNDG AND NOTICED ALMOST COMPLETE SEATBELT COMPLIANCE! WE WERE MET BY THE AGENT AND EMS CREW AND POLICE. SEVERAL FLT ATTENDANTS WERE BRUISED; SORE; LIMPING. I WENT WITH THE EMS CREW AND ONE OTHER ATTENDANT TO THE PORT AUTH MEDICAL. I DO NOT HOLD OUR COCKPIT CREW RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS INCIDENT. I WAS VERY RELIEVED THAT THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS ON AND THAT I KNEW I HAD MADE EXTRA CAREFUL SEATBELT CHKS. INJURIES COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF TRAYS HAD BEEN PICKED UP AS SOON AS PAX FINISHED EATING AND ESPECIALLY IF THE GALLEY DOORS (COMPARTMENT DOORS) HAD BEEN LOCKED. THE KEY IS; ESPECIALLY DURING TURB; TO STOW AND LOCK ALL COMPARTMENTS. I'M SURE THAT SAVED THE AFT GALLEY STAFF FROM MORE SERIOUS INJURY. TURB HAPPENS. IN ORDER TO DIMINISH THE LIKELIHOOD OF INJURY; REMOVE ALL FLYING OBJECTS (TRAYS; GLASSWARE) ASAP; BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES AND MAKE SURE YOU AREN'T A FLYING OBJECT BY STAYING STRAPPED IN WHEN CHOP IS PRESENT!