At least 36 people on a Hawaiian Airlines flight were injured, with 20 taken to the emergency room of a hospital, after the plane they were on encountered “severe turbulence” on a flight from Phoenix to Honolulu on Sunday, December 18.
Eleven patients were reported to be in serious condition, according to a statement from Honolulu Emergency Medical Services. Among those transported to the hospital was a 14-month-old child.
The injuries of the patients included a serious head injury, lacerations, bruises, and loss of consciousness, said Honolulu EMS.
Three crew members were among the injured, according to the airline.
The turbulence occurred 15 to 30 minutes before the plane landed in Honolulu, carrying 278 passengers and 10 crew members.
Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35, an Airbus 330, reported turbulence around 10:35 a.m. Hawaii time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
An 18-year-old college student heading home for winter break was on the plane and said it initially felt like normal turbulence. Then the shaking quickly intensified.
“It felt like free fall,” Jacie Hayata-Ano told CNN, describing being lifted from her seat even with her seatbelt fastened.
The FAA said it is investigating the incident. Can turbulence bring down a plane?
Turbulence is by far what many passengers fear most when boarding a plane. In fact, panic begins weeks before the scheduled travel date. Despite being uncomfortable and potentially injuring passengers and flight attendants who are not buckled in, is turbulence really dangerous? Is there reason for such panic?
The truth is that, despite being the most common cause of injuries among passengers and crew members, turbulence should not be feared, according to CEAB – the Educational Center of Aviation in Brazil, a flight school focused on training flight attendants and stewards.
“Only a very small percentage of the millions of people who fly every year get hurt in this type of situation. Airplanes are fully equipped and safe to handle this problem, keeping everyone on board safe,” explains CEAB.
What causes turbulence?
According to CEAB, the causes of turbulence are many, but heat is one of the main villains.
Sunny days can easily cause this type of problem, as bubbles of warm air (the so-called “thermals”) begin to rise and cause the aircraft to bounce a little.
Glider and paragliding pilots love this situation, as this phenomenon helps them gain altitude, but at high altitudes, they can be quite unpleasant.
In situations close to the ground, the causes can be different.
Especially for airports near large urban centers, the so-called “air vortices” occur: the wind passes through buildings, causing bumps and jolts, giving the impression that you are on a car on a dirt road.
Mountains also affect flights cruising above 30,000 feet, as winds blowing from them create updrafts that reach impressive heights.
Another type of turbulence in the airplane is the Jet Stream, or jet streams, air masses caused by the combination of the Earth’s rotation and the heating of the atmosphere by solar radiation. This phenomenon, described since World War II, occurs especially at high altitudes and in regions closer to the poles.
There are also the dreaded storms.
Pilots are trained early on to avoid this type of situation, as they are the ones that cause the most common severe turbulence.
The aircraft, like control towers, has various equipment that charts the best flight path to escape this situation.
Is it possible to avoid turbulence?
CEAB says that it is quite difficult to avoid this type of situation for a simple reason: air is invisible.
“Although we have many instruments aimed at predicting its behavior, it is often complicated to know when a warm current or a gust of wind forms.”
Communication between pilots is a determining factor in avoiding problematic areas. The use of radars also helps create a safe flight overview, especially avoiding the dreaded CB (Cumulus Nimbus).
The problem is that these rain-laden clouds can cause effects from a distance: even 40 km away from them, the plane can experience some bumps.
In the end: should we be afraid?
“Definitely not!” says CEAB.
Aircraft are heavily prepared to face this type of situation — there is a saying in aviation that goes, “turbulence does not bring down planes.”
The entire structure is designed with a high safety factor, and the numbers do not lie: in the United States, about 800 million people fly each year, and there are only about 60 injuries due to turbulence. Each year, American pilots report approximately 65,000 cases of moderate or severe turbulence and 5,500 cases of severe turbulence. But no plane has ever crashed because of it.
This type of situation is very uncomfortable, but by following safety recommendations, it is rare for anyone to even get hurt.
Turbulence on the plane is a common situation, but one that is accounted for by manufacturers and will not cause damage to the structure or the physical integrity of passengers and flight attendants.
Source: CNN and CEAB Brazil