If you’ve ever flown on a commercial airline flight I’m guessing you’ve heard the somewhat repetitive request to keep your seatbelt fasted when in your seat. Flight crews constantly remind passengers to keep their seatbelts fastened during all phases of flight. This often includes during cruise while the seatbelt sign is off. Over the past few years I’ve seen countless passengers, for whatever reason, ignore this part of the announcement. When I’m seated I try to always keep my seatbelt fastened. I do this because I’ve heard way too many horror stories about clear air turbulence.
For some reason, many passengers immediately undo their seatbelts when the fasten seatbelt sign is turned off. I often see passengers unbuckle their belts even when they have no intention of getting out of their seats. On a recent flight the passenger next to me unbuckled his belt during our takeoff roll which is simply unsafe. Keeping your seatbelt fastened may seem pointless, but as passengers on a recent Aeroflot flight found out, doing so may save your life or at least prevent you from taking a trip to the hospital.
What Is Clear Air Turbulence?
All air is clear, duh, but clear air turbulence is unexpected turbulence that can occur at any point during a flight. Turbulent air maps are available to pilots prior to each flight. Additionally, pilots constantly communicate with air traffic controllers and report any unexpected turbulence. Combined, this helps pilots avoid known turbulent air to give passengers a more pleasant flight. Often, turbulence is unavoidable and pilots can preemptively illuminate the fasten seatbelt sign to keep passengers safe when flying through known turbulence.
Clear Air Turbulence are the sudden jerks felt by passengers when the seatbelt sign is off. Typically pilots and air traffic controllers are unaware of the troubled air prior to the aircraft hitting a particular rough patch. Clear air turbulence represents a significant risk to passenger safety as it is virtually unavoidable. Clear air turbulence is the reason flight crews instruct passengers to keep their seatbelts fastened while seated and to avoid being out of their seats for longer than necessary.
Types Of Turbulence
Turbulence is rated from Light to Moderate to Severe. Chances are majority of travelers have never come close to experiencing sever turbulence. Majority of turbulence experienced by travelers is known to pilots as “light chop.”
Light turbulence is the slight up and down or side to side movement which tends to make passengers nervous. Generally while experiencing light turbulence there is no significant deviation in altitude or airspeed.
Moderate turbulence is the type of turbulence that typically suspends cabin crew from performing beverage services. Moderate turbulence may cause object in the cabin to shift, drinks to spill, and light strain on safety restraints (seatbelts).
Severe turbulence is felt when the aircraft experiences sudden large increases or decreases in altitude or airspeed. While flying through severe turbulence, pilots may momentarily lose control of the aircraft. Although severe turbulence seems frightening, modern airlines are designed to cope with the stresses associated with severe turbulence.
Extreme turbulence is quite rare and may cause structural damage to modern airliners. Pilots may find an aircraft nearly impossible to control while experiencing extreme turbulence.
Aeroflot Incident
Several hours ago an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Bangkok experienced unexpected severe turbulence which sent passengers and personal items flying around the cabin. According to various news outlets some passengers suffered fractured bones after being thrown violently around the cabin. Thankfully, no one suffered life threatening injuries and the plane landed safely.
Apparently approximately an hour prior to landing in Bangkok the aircraft hit several air pockets which caused rapid decent of the aircraft. Several passengers were ultimately sent to the hospital as a result.
Final Thoughts
I try to keep my seatbelt buckled at all times when flying, but often find myself forgetting to re-buckle the seatbelt after returning to my seat. Also, when flying on a lie-flat seat I often avoid buckling my seatbelt when fully reclined. Although I’ve been lucky and never experienced something like the recent Aeroflot incident, this story serves as an important reminder to always keep your seatbelt fastened during all phases of flight. I know its tempting to leave your belt unbuckled while sleeping on a long flight, but doing so may result in severe injuries if the flight finds itself passing through areas of extreme turbulent air.
