Those 10 people have all been released from hospital, according to ABC News , but should turbulence be something to worry about? Turbulence is the most common form of air injury and around 58 people in the U. However, among the injuries, three of them fatal, the FAA attributes to turbulence between to , of those affected flight attendants and affected passengers. In other words, a bumpy flight is nothing to be scared of, British Airways captain Steve Allright told the U.
Flight crews have a scale of severity for turbulence: light, moderate, severe and extreme. Moderate turbulence does not scare pilots, according to Allright, who also said extreme turbulence is rare but not dangerous. Severe or extreme turbulence — sometimes colloquially known as violent turbulence — however, is another matter completely. Among aviation professionals, all turbulence falls into one of four categories, with violent turbulence representing the two most-severe classifications.
This type of turbulence is so common it happens on nearly every flight, says veteran pilot and Seneca College aviation instructor Robert Johnson. It's the kind that causes "slight, erratic changes" to the plane's altitude or tilt, according to Transport Canada. Unless you're a nervous flyer, you'll probably be unfazed by this type of turbulence. At its lowest levels, you might not even notice it. If you're a frequent traveller, you may have been unlucky enough to experience moderate turbulence, where the plane's altitude could change by up to six metres.
Your drink will probably spill, and you'll feel a definite strain against your seatbelt. He adds that the pilot could momentarily lose control of the plane, regaining it quickly. The plane's altitude could change by up to 30 metres. During this extremely rare type of turbulence, "pilot control is definitely lost and there is a very significant risk of aircraft damage," says Johnson.
While he stresses these categories are subjective, Johnson says he would classify the turbulence on the American Airlines flight recently diverted to St. John's as severe, not extreme, due to the lack of reported damage to the plane. That flight — heading from Miami to Milan — saw five people injured.
The most common type of turbulence is called "clear-air turbulence," says Johnson. It occurs when cold and warm air come together. It's most common at altitudes of 7, to 12, metres. Clear-air turbulence feels more severe to passengers than it does to the crew on the flight deck, which can make for a stressful flight.
However, all forms of air turbulence can be caused by a number of factors, including heat, jet streams and flying over mountain ranges. Severe turbulence is often attributed to a combination of these elements that make the air even more unstable. A severe thunderstorm can also cause violent turbulence; pilots tend to avoid flying in thunderstorms for that very reason.
Violent turbulence is not particularly common, especially since experienced pilots know how to avoid it. Though design changes like those would mainly address efficiency, turbulence does play a factor in aircraft performance and energy consumption: Flight path and altitude changes to avoid turbulence is estimated to cost U. Climate shifts could exacerbate those costs even more. Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading in the U.
Armed and ready though you may be with knowledge of meteorology and engineering, there are a few more solid strategies to plan for and cope with turbulence once on the plane. Stay buckled up, even when the seatbelt light is off, Poole adds, since even a loosely fastened belt will keep you from hitting your head on the overhead bins. All rights reserved.
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