The first, and thankfully only, time I experienced severe air turbulence, I was flying over Denver, Colorado. Fortunately, my seat belt was on. The person across the aisle from me wasn’t so lucky. He rocketed out of his seat, bashing his head against the ceiling. Blood oozed out of the gash on his forehead as he fell back to the floor.
Almost a dozen others were hurt on that flight. I just missed getting hit by a yellow and black flying CD player that whizzed past my face.
Fortunately, incidents of severe turbulence aren’t common. From 2005 through 2015, the FAA reports 231 passengers and 177 crew members were injured due to turbulence. During that time, millions of passengers flew on U.S. flights. Despite its rarity, passengers and flight crew members have sustained serious injuries from severe turbulence, and 17 people have died from it worldwide since 1980, three on U.S. flights, according to AirSafe.com.
Most of the air turbulence we occasionally encounter while flying is neither severe nor particularly dangerous, but passengers never know when severe “clear-air turbulence” (CAT) might occur. CAT is the turbulent movement of air masses in the absence of any visual clues (clouds, etc.) and is caused when bodies of air moving at vastly different speeds meet. Some people refer to CAT as “air pockets.”
When experiencing CAT, planes can quickly lose significant altitude, causing passengers and their belongings to fly upward and rapidly around the cabin. Heavy bags in overhead bins can be so violently jarred by the severe turbulence that they fly out of overhead bins, crashing into passengers and crew members.
Just this past January, American Airlines flight 206 from Miami to Milan hit CAT at 29,000 feet, about 400 miles from St. John’s, Newfoundland, where the flight was diverted. Two passengers and three flight attendants who were injured during the turbulence were taken to the hospital for treatment and observation.
Passengers described the event as two huge jolts in which the airplane dipped quickly while rolling on its side, with anything loose flying about.
Air travelers must be prepared to handle turbulence, which can come with no warning whatsoever.
Fasten your seatbelt:
First and foremost, whenever seated, all air travelers must keep their seatbelts fastened throughout their flights, whether the seatbelt sign is on or not.
While the seatbelt doesn’t have to be tightened so it’s uncomfortable or impossible for you to shift position while you’re seated, it needs to be snug enough to prevent you from being thrown out of your seat in severe turbulence. Even if you’re in a lie-flat seat and planning to sleep through the night, wear your seatbelt tightened snuggly enough to keep you safe.
Fasten your children’s seatbelt:
While it adds to the cost of a family vacation, young children, in my opinion, should never fly seated in their parent’s lap. Parent’s aren’t strong enough to hold their child in their lap if suddenly 2 to 2½ G force turbulence hits their flight. If a parent belts their child in with them in their lap, in case of severe turbulence the child can be seriously hurt by the belt in the same way they could be hurt wearing an adult seatbelt in an automobile.
Children should be seated in an approved child safety seat appropriate for their age and size, strapped to their own seat on the plane.
Gear not in use should be stowed:
Any gear such as games, tablets, cameras, music players and laptop computers should be stowed when not in use, either in the seatback pocket, if it fits, or in your carry-on or personal item. Loose gear, especially a laptop and other heavy items, can become dangerous missiles in a plane experiencing severe turbulence.
Keep the overhead bin door closed at all times during your flight:
Passengers often retrieve belongings in their bags stowed in the overhead bin during flights. Whenever you go into an overhead bin while aloft, open it, retrieve your bag, then close the bin, making sure it’s latched. That will keep the other bags and gear stowed in the overhead bin safely behind the door if turbulence hits.
On my flight, when we were hit by severe turbulence, bags flew out of open doors of the bins, causing some of the injuries on the flight. The doors were left open while passengers searched for gear in their bags. After you stow your bag back into the bin, ensure the door is securely latched.
Always follow the directions of the flight crew:
Flight crews want to keep all their passengers safe. Listen to their directions and follow them. If the seatbelt sign is turned on during your flight, immediately return to your seat and buckle up. It will minimize your chance of injury in case of severe turbulence.
As an air traveler, while you might not ever encounter severe turbulence in your lifetime, it’s always a possibility. Don’t be your own worst enemy when you fly. Follow the commonsense suggestions listed above to help you safely arrive at your destination.
(Image: Turbulence in American Airlines A333, Envoy Class (Business Class) Cabin – Copyright © 2015 NSL Photography. All Rights Reserved.)
After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
