Turbulence - 12 injured.

[eldar]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37228479

I thought unexpected and severe turbulence was pretty rare nowdays, with advanced radar and fairly busy air lanes.

Or am I just confused?

[Wobbegong]

I guess they could have been waiting for the toilet but I've noticed a lot of passengers don't wear the seat belts anymore and ignore seatbelt signs.

Last time I was on an aircraft in turbulence the air stewardess had to drag a chap back to his seat as he was praying in front of the emergency exit. Was quite comical seeing him levitate with the bumps

[Sheepshanks]

eldar said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37228479

I thought unexpected and severe turbulence was pretty rare nowdays, with advanced radar and fairly busy air lanes.

Or am I just confused?

It's pretty rare to hear of a plane diverted and people taken off by ambulance so I don't think you're confused.

I was on a flight years ago where we were told to hold the person next to us so we didn't bang into each other. It didn't seem that bad, and that's the only time I've experienced anything like it.

[WinstonWolf]

Happened to us over the Rockies about fifteen years ago. The food trollies were airborne by about 3 feet, the cabin crew all dropped to the floor and braced sideways between the seats. My daughter even ended up floating in her bassinet

Proper scary when it happens, especially with zero warning. It had been a perfectly smooth flight up until that point.

How no one was injured I'll never know.

[Targarama]

Some of the injured were kids. Hard to keep a 3 year old strapped in the whole time.

[Tom_C76]

Wasn't it in the early hours this morning? If so I'm guessing some people didn't put their belts on before going to sleep, and therefore missed the instruction to do so when the light came on.

[hidetheelephants]

This is being reported in a fantastically hysterical way; the BBC felt it was appropriate to interview one of the passengers who proceeded to relay how he had feared for his life. They encountered some turbulence, no-one died and the plane is still serviceable.

[MarkwG]

hidetheelephants said:

This is being reported in a fantastically hysterical way; the BBC felt it was appropriate to interview one of the passengers who proceeded to relay how he had feared for his life. They encountered some turbulence, no-one died and the plane is still serviceable.

Indeed "We were told to get out of our seats and sit on the floor." - sounds a bit weird?

[anonymous-user]

hidetheelephants said:

This is being reported in a fantastically hysterical way; the BBC felt it was appropriate to interview one of the passengers who proceeded to relay how he had feared for his life. They encountered some turbulence, no-one died and the plane is still serviceable.

You're a lot braver than me.

I flew across the Atlantic this morning and there's some nasty turbulence and convective weather around, there are some strong jet streams leading to very short eastbound crossings and long westbound flights. The downside to these jet stream induced short flights is the increased likelihood of severe turbulence.

I'm not sure if you've flown much through severe turbulence. I've had the misfortune of doing it a few times and it's very scary indeed. I've been on a flight where the crew who were out in the cabin have hit the ceiling and then had the galley carts land on one of them afterwards. A few of them were badly injured.

I once flew through a thunderstorm after the aircraft's weather radar broke. i couldn't hear anything in the flight deck due to the noise of the hail on the windscreen the up and downdraughts were horrendous. The large aircraft with three hundred people on board was being thrown around like a toy, As the hail died down, I could hear all the people in the cabin screaming. Even though no one died and the plane was still serviceable. Most aircrew are very wary of turbulence.

[boxst]

el stovey said:

You're a lot braver than me.

I flew across the Atlantic this morning and there's some nasty turbulence and convective weather around, there are some strong jet streams leading to very short eastbound crossings and long westbound flights. The downside to these jet stream induced short flights is the increased likelihood of severe turbulence.

I'm not sure if you've flown much through severe turbulence. I've had the misfortune of doing it a few times and it's very scary indeed. I've been on a flight where the crew who were out in the cabin have hit the ceiling and then had the galley carts land on one of them afterwards. A few of them were badly injured.

I once flew through a thunderstorm after the aircraft's weather radar broke. i couldn't hear anything in the flight deck due to the noise of the hail on the windscreen the up and downdraughts were horrendous. The large aircraft with three hundred people on board was being thrown around like a toy, As the hail died down, I could hear all the people in the cabin screaming. Even though no one died and the plane was still serviceable. Most aircrew are very wary of turbulence.

Oh. I'm just about to get on a 'plane to London

I do however keep my seatbelt fastened all the time, having experienced turbulence as you described and finally realised that the little what looks like ineffectual seatbelt actually does as I watched the person next to me float up and bump their head on the overhead bins.

Steve

[CrutyRammers]

el stovey said:

hidetheelephants said:

This is being reported in a fantastically hysterical way; the BBC felt it was appropriate to interview one of the passengers who proceeded to relay how he had feared for his life. They encountered some turbulence, no-one died and the plane is still serviceable.

You're a lot braver than me.

I flew across the Atlantic this morning and there's some nasty turbulence and convective weather around, there are some strong jet streams leading to very short eastbound crossings and long westbound flights. The downside to these jet stream induced short flights is the increased likelihood of severe turbulence.

I'm not sure if you've flown much through severe turbulence. I've had the misfortune of doing it a few times and it's very scary indeed. I've been on a flight where the crew who were out in the cabin have hit the ceiling and then had the galley carts land on one of them afterwards. A few of them were badly injured.

I once flew through a thunderstorm after the aircraft's weather radar broke. i couldn't hear anything in the flight deck due to the noise of the hail on the windscreen the up and downdraughts were horrendous. The large aircraft with three hundred people on board was being thrown around like a toy, As the hail died down, I could hear all the people in the cabin screaming. Even though no one died and the plane was still serviceable. Most aircrew are very wary of turbulence.

It's the usual thing - something becomes routine and safe, and people forget that actually, it's a pretty extreme thing to be doing in what can be a very hostile environment. Occasionally we get reminded of it.

[aeropilot]

I heard about this yesterday morning at about 7.30am, as I was sitting next to two Virgin pilots on the staff bus after they got on at T3. One was saying his crew saw the weather system on their weather radar about 80 miles ahead on the way over and asked ATC for permission to divert 30nm north of the cell. ATC refused them. By the time they got closer the cell dissipated and dropped below their altitude and they skimmed over the top. This Captain was clearly not impressed with ATC, and they had heard that some flight crew and infants had been injured and the flight had diverted into Shannon.

[Mansells Tash]

aeropilot said:

...ATC refused them. By the time they got closer the cell dissipated and dropped below their altitude and they skimmed over the top. This Captain was clearly not impressed with ATC....

I thought the pilot can use his judgement to tell em to get stuffed and divert anyway if he feels there is sufficient risk, so why get upset with ATC?

[5150]

There's not really an exact science regarding jet streams and turbulence.

I've sat in a 240+ mph jet stream over the atlantic, and it's been completely smooth, then another flight, been in completely still air and been all over the shop.

[djc206]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

If ATC refused them, itll be for a very good reason. i.e. theres another aircraft already there.

However, the ultimate safety of the aircraft is ALWAYS the Captains responsibility.... if they want to, they can disregard any ATC clearance (or refusal of clearance, if that makes sense) - but it comes with certain very important legal strings attached.

Ive refused pilots request to turn in a certain direction quite a few times during CB activity, chiefly because it was cause a loss of separation with another flight. If I have the time I explain the situation and offer an alternative. If I dont have the time its up to the Captain to decide what to do...

^this

The guys in oceanic don't just say no for the fun of it. One of the biggest issues especially with American pilots is that they are very dramatic about turbulence and weather. If I have a British airliner and an American airliner flying in trail through the same patch of sky you can bet your bottom dollar that if the Brit reports light chop the yank will report it as moderate. Moderate becomes and this is a verbatim quote "we're getting our brains rattled around in our skulls up here".

I fly regularly and as suggested always keep my seatbelt fastened when seated just in case. I also drink my red wine quickly, just in case.

[hidetheelephants]

boxst said:

I do however keep my seatbelt fastened all the time, having experienced turbulence as you described and finally realised that the little what looks like ineffectual seatbelt actually does as I watched the person next to me float up and bump their head on the overhead bins.

Steve

I do this too, if I'm in my seat the belt's on. I'm well aware of what the atmosphere can do to an aeroplane if the weather routing goes wrong or the pilot has no choice but to fly through it.