B737-800
Flight Attendant Airline Total 25; Flight Attendant Number Of Acft Qualified On 4; Flight Attendant Total 27; Flight Attendant Type 50
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Aircraft
Right after takeoff; we feel/hear a big bang/thunk; slight lurch to aircraft right. Again; bang/lurch to the right; then again bang/lurch to right. We know something is wrong - are we crashing? To me it sounded like the nose gear had trouble retracting - the bang sound was so close in proximity to my jumpseat. Silence on plane. Intro video starts; I reach up and stop it. I have my serving tray with paperwork on my lap. I reach up and immediately stow. We level out. I get up to double check all in galley is secure/extra secure in case we have to evacuate. A couple of cart doors popped open. I double checked that all cart brakes were secure and set. I take my seat; the call light in coach goes off. The Number 3; says; should I get up and get it? I say no; stay in your jumpseat where it is safe. Let the back flight attendants get it - they are closer - besides; I just saw the movie Flight and the Flight Attendant gets killed helping a passenger. Immediately a second call light goes off. Number 4 Flight Attendant gets it; now a third call light goes off - all in same area. I ask the Number 3 where are the call lights going off. Are they over the wing? She says yes. I say there must be a fire or something over the wing/engine area. I hear the aft flight attendants call the Captain; Number 3 picks up the handset - she tries to share it with me so I can hear too. I cannot hear all of what is said. He says he's really busy right now. We wait. (That's when I got up to check my galley was secure - what I said above.) Number 3 and I talk about evacuating. Then we remember the initial commands; but not what comes after that of the new wording. We agree if we evacuate; we will use old words that we know so that we are consistent in our commands. Somehow I know that there were flames but not how or when I got this info from the aft flight attendants. I tell Number 3 that on the handset; I did not hear the aft flight attendants tell the Captain that there was fire over the wing/engine. I thought he would already be aware of it if there was; but I should tell him just in case. I (2 dings) call. Tell him that passenger saw flames. He asked is it out? I did not know - but I knew that no more call lights went off. He said bird strike; we are diverting [and] we will land normally in five to seven minutes. That he will make an announcement to passengers on what had occurred. We call aft flight attendants and pass on this information. I make announcement to double check seat belts secure; tray tables up; luggage stowed and all electronics off. (I thought some passengers would be video-taping the incident.) We land without incident. When aircraft door is open Captain says that is exactly how we practiced it in the simulator!
Aircraft experienced abnormal flight characteristics immediately after takeoff.