Dangerous Turbulence Endangers Lives
A bumpy flight is often unpleasant but typically harmless. But what happened on Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 was anything but normal. On its journey from London to Singapore, the plane experienced intense turbulence that left dozens of people injured, with some suffering serious wounds and one person dead.
Turbulence can be a scary experience for anyone, particularly those with a fear of flying. It usually occurs when planes experience sudden, unexpected drops. However, this turbulence is usually brief and harmless, allowing the plane to continue its flight after a few moments. Rarely, turbulence can be extremely severe, as was the case on this fateful day.
Azmir Dzafran, one of the 211 passengers on board, described the experience to the New York Times: "Those who didn't fasten their seatbelts quickly enough were flung into the air in the cabin. Within an instant, they collided with the cabin ceiling and fell back to the ground." At that moment, the Boeing 777-300 was flying over southern Myanmar at an altitude of 37,000 feet. The plane suddenly dove dramatically. Dzafran recalled feeling like he was on a roller coaster. The airline later described the event as "unexpected and extreme turbulence."
But how could such intense turbulence occur?
Turbulence is often mislabeled as an "air pocket" due to the sudden change in altitude of an aircraft. In reality, though, turbulence is caused by air or wind currents, not a drop in air pressure. Pilots generally have the means to prepare for turbulence; they monitor weather radar and carry extra fuel to wait for the air to calm down if necessary. They can also follow the flight paths of other planes that have recently traveled through the area to get an idea of any potential weather changes.
However, some turbulence isn't caused by weather systems like thunderstorms or specific clouds. Known as "cold air turbulence," this type of turbulence is typically triggered by jet streams when they change direction unexpectedly. Many commercial flights use the jet streams at high altitudes to help propel their planes. However, the overlapping wind streams of jet streams can have different speeds. This leads to the formation of turbulence between the two streams, which can be difficult to detect.
It's still unclear if cold air turbulence was responsible for the events on Flight SQ321. However, scientists agree that this type of turbulence is on the rise due to climate change. Climate change is causing temperature differences on the earth's surface to shift, which in turn affects the air currents that create turbulence.
Scientists from the University of Reading have found that moderate turbulence over the North Atlantic has increased by 37% since 1979 and severe turbulence by up to 55% in the same period. These findings are consistent with another study that found turbulence will be more than twice as frequent in the second half of the 21st century than in pre-industrial times.
Despite the risks, airplanes are typically built to withstand severe turbulence. However, it can still be dangerous for passengers. The US Federal Aviation Administration reports that 163 people have been seriously injured by turbulence between 2009 and 2022, with most of the injuries occurring to crew members.
"It's like driving a car through a pothole at 900 km/h," an experienced pilot from the Vereinigung Cockpit told dpa. He recommended that passengers never remove their seatbelts during a flight, even when the seatbelt signs are turned off.
Eyewitnesses on Flight SQ321 report that the seatbelt warning came too late for many passengers. "People who had been walking in the aisle moments before looked like they were doing somersaults," another passenger told Sky News. After an emergency landing in Bangkok, twenty passengers were rushed to intensive care, and some required spinal surgery. Dozens more were injured. A 73-year-old British man tragically died, possibly of a heart attack, according to authorities.
Extreme turbulence like this is rare, but it can be dangerous. While most modern planes are built to withstand severe turbulence, it's important for passengers to stay buckled up throughout the flight.
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The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is conducting research to better understand and predict turbulence in aviation, which could potentially save lives during air travel. Many airlines have implemented turbulence awareness programs to educate passengers about the dangers and importance of seatbelt use during flights.
Source: www.ntv.de
