Turbulence experienced by a plane belonging to… Singapore Airlines On Tuesday, during its flight from London to Singapore, it led to the death of one of its passengers, the injury of 30 others, and the Boeing 777-300ER plane was forced to divert to Bangkok.
This incident raised concerns among many travel enthusiasts about the danger of turbulence, but experts confirm that understanding the causes of turbulence may help airline crews and passengers significantly mitigate their impact.
Here is a detailed guide to turbulence that explains their causes, how dangerous they are, and the best way to respond to them.
What are air turbulence and what causes them?
Turbulence is a state of instability in the air surrounding the aircraft, and there are several causes that lead to its occurrence, the most prominent of which are unstable weather patterns that lead to storms, according to Airbus.
According to a statement published by Paul Williams, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, “turbulence during flights can be caused by storms, mountains, and strong air currents called jet streams.” He added, “In this last case, it is called fresh air turbulence.” “It may be difficult to avoid because it does not appear on the weather radar in the cockpit.”
In clear air turbulence, air moves in river-like currents, called jet streams. These currents are fast air passages found at high altitudes, especially between places with warm and cold air.
Pilots usually try to either take advantage of these currents or avoid them, in order to save fuel, but sometimes they are forced to cross one of these currents, and this causes some turbulence.
Pilots are sometimes warned of turbulence by the Federal Aviation Administration, airline meteorology teams, or even other pilots who have flown in areas exposed to turbulence. However, turbulence can occur without warning.
How common and dangerous are turbulence?
Turbulence-related accidents are common, according to a 2021 study by the US National Transportation Safety Board.
From 2009 to 2018, turbulence accounted for more than a third of reported incidents, most of which resulted in one or more serious injuries, but no damage to aircraft.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, 30 passengers and 116 crew members were seriously injured in turbulence from 2009 to 2021.
The number of airline passengers is currently estimated at about four billion passengers annually, so it is clear that such incidents are still rare.
According to the British Cirium Ascend Aviation Data Group, the last fatal accident related to turbulence was in December 1997, when a United Airlines Boeing 747 was hit by turbulence that killed one of its passengers during its flight from Tokyo to Honolulu.
What planes are best for turbulence?
In terms of their structure, all modern commercial aircraft are designed to handle forces far greater than those they encounter in flight, according to Cirium Ascend’s safety director, Paul Hayes.
But according to Swedish turbulence forecasting website Torpli, the feeling experienced by passengers varies from one plane to another and from one seat to another.
The back of long planes can be more vulnerable to turbulence, and the ideal location is around the center of gravity, which is usually directly in front of the wings.
The high-tech Boeing 787-9, equipped with a Honeywell “wind mitigation system,” ranks first in turbulence, according to Turpley, followed by the Airbus A340-500/600, although the four-engine model is no longer used on the plane. Wide range due to fuel costs.
The Boeing 777 family is widely viewed as having a strong safety record, with the exception of Malaysia Airlines MH17 being shot down by a missile over Ukraine and the mysterious disappearance of MH370, both incidents in 2014.
How do pilots and travelers respond to turbulence?
The flight crew tries to plan ahead to avoid turbulence by studying turbulence and other weather forecasts, which have improved over the years, loading extra fuel when needed and monitoring weather radar during flight.
But sometimes it is difficult to respond quickly if the plane is exposed to severe fresh air turbulence.
As for passengers, they must follow the crew’s instructions and wear seat belts when sitting.
Among those most at risk are crew members who must tour the cabin to check that seat belts are fastened when signs appear.
Is there any new technology that prevents exposure to turbulence?
NASA says it is developing an early warning system that relies on ground-based ultrasonic microphones to detect fresh air turbulence hundreds of miles away.
Turbulence Solutions, a technology start-up based in Austria, says it is developing technologies to eliminate up to 80 percent of atmospheric turbulence.
But industry experts warn that any new aircraft systems must prove they operate with a high level of reliability, and it takes years of rigorous testing before the technology is validated.
Is climate change responsible for turbulence?
A series of reports of disturbances has sparked debate about whether climate change might cause further disturbances.
A report issued by the University of Reading last year suggested that disturbances may worsen with climate change.
Speaking with Fox News, Paul Williams said that although there is a strong relationship, more research is needed.
“It is too early to definitively blame climate change for the recent apparent increases in the number of turbulence,” Williams added, noting that the observed increase may be due to increased media coverage and video footage posted by passengers on social media.
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