Almost all of us have experienced turbulence on an airplane at some point in our lives, even if it was no more disturbing than a peculiar shudder. Sometimes, in the case of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321, it can be devastating for those on board.
‘Turbulence’ does not refer to drinks spilled in the cabin or trays falling out of their hiding place. Rather, it refers to the chaotic movement of air outside the ship.
But what causes it and how dangerous can it be? Like water in the ocean, air in the sky is always in motion and not always in predictable ways.
After about 11 hours of flying from London, the plane plunged 6,000 feet in just five minutes, causing chaos in the cabin. In subsequent images, a flight attendant is seen with blood on her face (pictured)
Passengers are seen in the cabin after the incident, with their belongings scattered on the floor and oxygen masks hanging from above.
What we understand as turbulence is usually caused by what the industry calls “wind breakers”: changes in wind direction and/or speed. When this happens, the force of the wind causes the plane to shudder and shudder.
Because wind shear typically occurs between 20,000 and 50,000 feet, it is a common hazard for commercial aircraft, which fly between 33,000 and 42,000 feet.
There are three things that most often cause these pesky wind shears: extreme weather conditions, such as thunderstorms; mountainous environments that lift air waves into the sky; and jet streams, which are essentially high-speed flows of hot air.
Yesterday’s Singapore Airlines incident was not the result of a particular storm, nor was flight SQ321 flying over mountains.
The video shows emergency services removing a passenger from the cabin on a stretcher.
Oxygen masks seen hanging from ceiling in Singapore Airlines flight cabin
It is therefore likely to be classified as an example of clear air turbulence (CAT), the type that occurs at high altitudes where conditions are clear and therefore more dangerous, because the phenomenon is invisible to pilots. .
Fortunately, today airplanes are equipped with a high-tech device called “infrared Doppler radar.” This ingenious invention allows pilots to view highly sophisticated 3D images of approaching airspace, including wind direction and speed.
In this way, pilots can react in real time and avoid any turbulence detected. In the United States alone, airlines spend approximately $100 million a year to avoid turbulence.
But that team is not infallible. Wind shear can arise almost without warning, rendering radar systems useless.
According to the US National Transportation Safety Agency, between 2009 and 2018, about 28 percent of turbulence cases occurred without warning. This is likely what happened in the case of flight SQ321.
If the pilot and co-pilot had detected such an irregular air pattern on radar, they would surely have avoided it.
Suvarnabhumi Airport General Manager Kittipong Kittikachorn speaks to the media during a press conference following the diversion of the flight from London to Singapore.
The Singapore Airlines plane and ambulances are seen on the tarmac at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok.
Given the sophistication of current turbulence detection technology, it would be expected that incidents like the one that occurred yesterday would be decreasing. Instead, we are witnessing a dramatic increase in air turbulence.
Research published last year by meteorologists at the University of Reading found that our skies are around 55 per cent more turbulent than 40 years ago. Scientists found that in a typical location in the North Atlantic, one of the world’s busiest routes, the total annual duration of clear-air turbulence increased from 17.7 hours in 1979 to 27.4 hours in 2020. Moderate turbulence in the same region also increased by a staggering 37 percent.
Study co-author Paul Williams expects a 181 percent increase in clear-air turbulence over the North Atlantic by 2050-2080, as rising global temperatures increase the speed and unpredictability of wind shear.
Passengers said Thai emergency services worked quickly to help those on board after the plane made an emergency landing.
Other routes that remain more prone to turbulence include skies over mountain ranges. When fast-traveling air encounters mountains, it shoots up, creating air waves not unlike ocean waves.
So-called “mountain waves” can also form against large buildings such as skyscrapers. Planes landing or taking off from London City Airport experience difficulties with mountain waves due to their proximity to the capital’s imposing skyline.
Rising temperatures – and rising horizons – mean that increased turbulence is inevitable. Today, only one in every 50,000 flights suffers from so-called severe turbulence. That won’t be the case for much longer. So what can you do to reduce the chances of experiencing turbulence on a flight?
It is often said that you should sit in the middle of a plane to avoid the worst of the discomfort, as the center of the plane moves less when there is turbulence. This is theoretically valid, but in reality the difference is negligible.
If you are sitting on the wing during severe turbulence, you may notice it flexing. This is completely normal. In fact, the carbon fiber structure is designed to absorb and distribute the intense stress of high-speed wind. Simply put, if the wings didn’t flex, they would break.
Generally speaking, night is the safest time to fly. As any meteorologist will tell you, sudden changes in air temperature are much less common once the sun has set.
If you are unlucky enough to be caught in severe turbulence, it is vital that you take some simple steps to protect yourself. As tempting as it may be to get up and comfort your loved ones, you should sit down and fasten your seat belt around your hips. and waist. If you tighten the belt too low, below the hips, you risk being propelled up and out of the straps.
Father-of-two Andrew Davies from Lewisham, south-east London, was one of the passengers on flight SQ321.
He has learned a very sensible lesson from the traumatic experience: “Wear your seatbelt at all times,” he told the Mail. ‘All of the injured were not wearing seatbelts. The people who kept them, including me, are not…as far as I know.
If the overhead lockers fly open and debris starts flying around the cabin, assume the support position: head between your legs and hands above your head.
Most serious injuries that occur during turbulence come from head lacerations caused by flying objects.
I will never forget traveling on a small airline called Peach Airlines in 2016, between London and Canada. I was standing on the bar cart enjoying a drink as we sailed across the North Atlantic.
Suddenly, the plane fell from a height like a stone. My drink shot out of my glass and then fell back into the glass once again.
It seemed fun at the time, but it also seemed like a reminder from Mother Nature of who was really in charge up there.
Julian Bray is a major incident expert and former Alitalia consultant.
