That aircraft turbulence incident

"If it's Boeing I ain't going"

Daughter just got back from Singapore first 3 hours were pretty turbulent apparently - seatbelts on no service, no sleep either but that's helped bring her back to our timezone.

A guy I used to work with was on the 2014 RAF flight where the pilot got his camera snared in the flight controls and the plane nose dived 4400'.

The onboard computers all discussed the outcome and came up with "crash" so they took control and saved all lives on board.

They struggled to get a lot of the passengers back onto aeroplanes after that & the guy I worked with hasn't flown since.

A good friend from Uni is a BA pilot and he’s a climate sceptic 🤦‍♂️

A surprising number of pilots are. I usually wait until they bring up their conspiracy theories and try to convince them that chemtrails are a thing.

The thunderstorms this year are earlier and more intense than I've ever seen them. Flew back across Colorado a few days ago and the supercell there was glowing like a light bulb from continuous lightning discharge.

It's very easy to say flatly "you don't fly through a thunderstorm" and that's broadly correct. On the other hand, if you have a wall of them in front of you there's really no choice but to pick your way through the least worst bits based solely on the world's most paranoid weather radar and experience.

Eg in the picture below there are four options, none of which are ideal and all of which will likely have significant turbulence associated with them. The 777 also lacks the vertical situation display that you get on an Airbus.

I’ll take Route E thanks, even further right than D. Lucky I carry extra fuel to do this.

I still recall being on a 747 travelling to/from South Africa several years ago, and the Trolley Dolly* and her trolley suddenly levitated about 3-4 in the air right next to me (my shoulder height when seated) for several seconds, then crashed back down.   The seat belt then lit up.   Don't think I got my brew either.

(I've always kept my belt fastened loosely, exactly for this reason).

(*official job title as stated by a friend who is a BA pilot and once worked himself as a Trolley Dolly).

I do like a thread where the professional pilots turn up. 🙂

Thanks Flaperon and dantsw13 and boardman(can't remember full username...?). There's possibly one or two more as well...

A guy I used to work with was on the 2014 RAF flight where the pilot got his camera snared in the flight controls and the plane nose dived 4400′.

This one. Full event is truly terrifying.

A guy I used to work with was on the 2014 RAF flight where the pilot got his camera snared in the flight controls and the plane nose dived 4400′.

I guy i ride with occasionally was on it as well. He was discharged eventually due to disability i think.

Edit:- Unlucky bugger, turns out it was his second aircraft accident, first one got him off the planes, second one got him out of the RAF.

I love flying when its smooth and calm, but as soon as there's any turbulance, I assume the wings are going to fall off.

This incident should convince me that planes are pretty capable of dealing with turbulence and make future flights more relaxing..... but I'm not sure it will.

Guardian and BBC have predictably shoehorned the claim into their reports of the story that the climate emergency is making air turbulence worse.

>> Guardian and BBC have predictably shoehorned the claim into their
>> reports of the story that the climate emergency is making air turbulence worse.

Well, it is.

I love flying when its smooth and calm, but as soon as there’s any turbulance, I assume the wings are going to fall off.

I'm less worried about that than the fuselage falling off, that's where I'm sitting, after all.

Aircraft are very capable of dealing with turbulence, it's the unsecured self loading freight inside that isn't.

I’m very scared of flying and it’s focused on turbulence, I didn’t help to accidentally see this  headline before I left for Spain yesterday morning, then exaggerated by realising I’d be in a 737 Max 8.

To an extent, it is.  The 100,000 flights every day which pass without serious incident don’t make headline news, this was exceptional.

whilst this is true, I feel like I’ve experienced moderate & seatbelts on turbulence on 3/4 of the flights I’ve been on, but that may be exaggerated becuase I’m nervous / focused on it.

I find the turbli app fairly accurate fwiw

Thought twice about the right way to say this, but Asian passengers do have a 'different' approach generally to inflight etiquette.

Having lived there for a while it is not uncommon for people to refuse to wear seatbelts and stand up at inappropriate points in the flight (including immediately upon landing whilst still decelerating on the main runway).

Now, I know that many of the injured were Brits (including sadly the RIP although he died of a heart attack rather than impact injury), and generalisations are exactly that. However, since wearing seatbelts and general adherence to the basics of passenger safety are something of a voluntary code in Asia, it is not surprising that people did not have their seatbelts on for the duration of the flight when seated as advised, regardless of the seatbelt signs. Indeed the whole approach to the value of life and personal safety are not globally the same.

I agree that whilst turbulence is scary, this incident does in a peculiar way restore my faith in the strength of the aircraft itself and the ability of even an ageing Boeing to survive some pretty serious abuse.

Asia is a big place and I find it hard to take seriously anyone who asserts a general attitude towards anything there!

unsecured self loading freight

🙂

Aye. Japan is in Asia and they all got off recently when that big jet caught fire after landing on a small jet.

I'd posit they all got off because they were Japanese and followed the Crew's instructions and didn't mess about with 'vital' hand luggage etc...

Speculation I know but from what I've seen, it makes sense.

stand up at inappropriate points in the flight (including immediately upon landing whilst still decelerating on the main runway).

Crazy..I had a rougher then usual landing at Manchester the other day... probably not rough at all in terms of what can happen, but anyone stood up would have been sent flying/possibly broken limbs etc, as the plane jarred quite violently from left to right a few times under heavy decelleration on the tarmac..

I alway wear a seatbelt, I've seen 'rough' turbulence before! I'm only out of my seat for the toilet or to stretch my legs for a few mins.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-25/singapore-airlines-sq321-passengers-compensation-in-cabin-safety/103883404

A few days ago, the director of Bangkok's Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital read out details of the injuries among the 41 passengers and crew being treated there.

Twenty two people sustained spinal and spinal cord injuries.

Six sustained skull and brain injuries.

Thirteen have injuries to their bones, muscles and other organs.

The patients have been grouped according to their most severe injuries, but some do fall into multiple categories.

These are injuries that have the potential to impact them for the rest of their lives.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5117ev8n7xo

Eileen is a moron.

Eileen is a moron.

For not wearing her belt when the sign was off?

Yep. Tell me she isn't.

Well clearly she isn't used to dealing withturbulence but when the sign is off it's only a recommendation.

I tend not to make sweeping statements in that regard, it only makes you look even more stupid when you inevitably do something stupid yourself.

And do you think she'll heed that recommendation in the future before she gets her head down on a long haul flight? I think she will.

Every single flight I’ve ever been on announces the wearing of seat belts “in case of unexpected turbulance.    It’s idiots like this which will force it to be mandatory throughout the flight, and a good thing too IMO.

I returned from my short break yesterday again on a Max 8 and got a free upgrade to the overwing exit.  Despite the fact I know better -rationally- I spent a lot of time staring at the not-a-plug door.  🤷‍♂️

 It’s idiots like this which will force it to be mandatory throughout the flight

Well, mandatory while seated perhaps, but we also need to encourage people on long haul to get up and walk in the cabin regularly rather than just be strapped in for 10 hours filling their leg arteries with clots.

Jesus, it must be ****ing great to be perfect.

This place...

Well, mandatory while seated perhaps, but we also need to encourage people on long haul to get up and walk in the cabin regularly rather than just be strapped in for 10 hours filling their leg arteries with clots.

She was sleeping.

"BA pilot and he’s a climate sceptic 🤦‍♂️"

The entire industry is.

It's very existence is dependant on climate scepticism.

great to be perfect.

I think its more about "having some common sense" to be fair.       Deliberately leaving a safety harness off when you know there's a chance you'd need it seems stupid to me.

"It’s idiots like this which will force it to be mandatory throughout the flight, and a good thing too IMO."

Don't really fancy the catheter or piss bottle option, but have sat in front of people i'd happily shit on before.

Turbulence and being thrown around is pretty stressful.
But it's pilots stalling the plane into the middle of the ocean through sheer idiocy that *really* worries me

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_447

I've only started wearing by belt at all times over the last few years...

I wouldnt say it's stupid, more lack of awareness, I wasn't aware of how unpredictable it can be, as I'd only ever experienced turbulence bigger then slightly bumpy, (untill I didn't!)  when the seatbelt sign was swiched on, assuming the crew could predict it a lot better than they can....

My thought process being why would there even be a 'fasten seat belt' sign/announcement... after reading this thread maybe the rules should change to 'always wear a belt when seated'.... I know they arleady suggest you should but it's maybe a little ambiguous for people who don't fly much or have never experienced rough turbulence.

Maybe it would be too much for the cabin crew if they have to enforce a rule like that amongst all the other duties? I'm thinking plane full of pissed up knobbers on hte way to benidorm, for example... would be a nightmare for cabin crew to enforce.

But it’s pilots stalling the plane into the middle of the ocean through sheer idiocy that *really* worries me

Yeah, you don't have to worry about that.

>> My thought process being why would there even be a ‘fasten seat belt’ sign/announcement

But what do you do in that case if you want everyone sat down and not queuing for the toilets etc? Seat belt signs going on usually means turbulence ahead.

Announce it via cabin crew like they do now?

Announce it via cabin crew like they do now?

Which you might not hear, or understand. A light coming on is unambiguous.

>> Announce it via cabin crew like they do now?

No announcements on night flights though.

No announcements on night flights though.

Not so with Emirates.

If the seat belt sign is put on there will always be an accompanying announcement by the cabin crew. If it's strong turbulence the cabin crew will lock the toilets and go around checking everybody has their belt on..... even if it means waking them up at night.

[Direct from daughter #3 who is Emirates CC and home on holiday]