The cause of the turbulence is currently under investigation by Singapore Airlines. The airline reported that its flight from London to Singapore experienced severe turbulence approximately 10 hours after takeoff.
Larry Kornman, a physicist and project scientist at the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Atmospheric Research, noted that while fatalities from turbulence are rare, serious incidents are not uncommon.
“These events are often a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” explained Kornman, who studies atmospheric movements that can pose risks to aircraft.
From 2009 to 2023, turbulence led to 185 serious injuries out of millions of flights. This data is the most recent publicly available information according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The agency mandates that airlines report injuries and fatalities, with serious injuries defined as requiring hospitalization for two or more days. These injuries can affect internal organs, cause bone fractures, burns, bleeding, and nerve or muscle damage.
Between 2009 and 2022, there were reports of 129 crew members and 34 passengers sustaining injuries due to turbulence.
Turbulence-related fatalities can result from heart attacks or head trauma caused by passengers’ impact against the ceiling or falling luggage, explained Kornman.
“What can cause death on the ground can also lead to fatalities in an aluminum tube at 35,000 feet,” he emphasized, adding that wearing seatbelts is crucial for air travel safety.
“Large commercial aircraft are designed to withstand turbulence without breaking apart or falling from the sky,” Cornman reassured.
Sarah Nelson, president of the cabin crew association CWA, mentioned initial reports suggesting that the Singapore Airlines flight encountered clear skies and turbulence. Clear-air turbulence is particularly hazardous as it is invisible and difficult to detect with current technology.
Nelson highlighted the challenge of predicting and avoiding such events, which are on the rise due to climate change.
A study published in 2023 in the Journal of Geophysical Research Letters revealed a more than 50% increase in severe clear-air turbulence over the North Atlantic from 1979 to 2020.
Researchers attributed this rise to climate change’s impact on wind speeds in the upper atmosphere, especially over mid-latitude regions.
They cautioned that global warming might destabilize the jet stream, potentially disrupting air travel significantly.
Singapore Airlines reported that a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew members were aboard the flight that encountered turbulence, causing a rapid altitude drop. The pilot declared a medical emergency and diverted the plane to Bangkok, where it landed safely.
The airline extended condolences to the affected families and apologized for the distressing experience.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
