Flight attendants and pilots are urging passengers to buckle up after the severe turbulence encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight as it was over the Indian Ocean killed one passenger and injured dozens others.
The London to Singapore flight hit heavy turbulence as it was cruising over the Indian Ocean, where the aircraft descended 1,800 meters in about three minutes, before it was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok.
A witness on the flight said numerous people who did not have their seat belts on were thrown around the cabin when the airplane suddenly dipped, with many hitting their heads.
Aircraft are required by law to switch on the seat belt sign during takeoff and landing, but carriers have their own procedures on dealing with midair turbulence.
Weather forecasting service AccuWeather said satellite and lightning data showed “explosive thunderstorms” developing close to the flight path. These can leave pilots little time to react.
Clear air turbulence cannot be seen and is virtually undetectable with current technology, making it all the more important for passengers to wear seat belts whenever seated. “It is a matter of life and death,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants – CWA, representing over 50,000 at 20 airlines.
The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents more than 77,000 pilots at 41 US and Canada airlines, echoed the message, saying the safest way for passengers to protect themselves is by making sure their seatbelts are always fastened.
According to the US National Transportation Safety Board, turbulence-related airline accidents are the most common type.
Aerospace safety expert Anthony Brickhouse said passengers need to minimize their movement on flights and always stay buckled in, regardless of the status of the seatbelt light.
This reminder from pilots and flight attendants, especially in the wake of what the Singapore Airlines flight went through, is something those of us who fly frequently should listen to. Keeping yourself buckled up, even loosely, as long as the seatbelt is actually fastened, will keep us from serious injuries or trauma in case of unexpected turbulence, which is becoming more common than ever, probably because of the planet’s changing climate.
As the saying goes, it is always better to be safe than sorry.*
