Can you die from plane turbulence? Flight attendant claims you can’t – so stop being scared
Flight attendant Heather Poole also revealed that 'extreme turbulence' is something that hardly ever happens
TURBULENCE is one of the scariest things about flying – although we’ve all been told it’s just bumpy air, it’s hard not to get afraid if it hits your plane.
However it seems the advice that turbulence is really nothing to be afraid of is true – the chances of dying or being injured are beyond minuscule.
Flight attendant Heather Poole, who wrote Cruising Altitude about her 15-year experience working on planes, says passengers need to stop being scared of bumpy flights.
She told that only three people have died in the USA as a direct result of turbulence since 1980.
Heather said: “During that same time period, the Federal Aviation Administration recorded just over 300 serious injuries from turbulence, and more than two-thirds of the victims were flight attendants.
“What do these numbers mean? As long as your seat belt is on, you’re more likely to be injured by falling luggage than by choppy air.”
She also revealed that “extreme turbulence” is very rare indeed.
This is defined as when the captain loses control of the plane, or the plane’s structure is damaged by it.
Heather said: “A friend of mine who works closely with airline management said he’s never seen a pilot label rough air as ‘extreme turbulence.’
“So the next time you’re nervous about some mid-flight bumps, just take a deep breath and remind yourself, ‘This isn’t extreme!’”
While turbulence isn’t ever much fun, it is very common.
“The pilots aren’t worried about the wings falling off; they’re trying to keep their customers relaxed and everybody’s coffee where it belongs.
“Planes themselves are engineered to take a remarkable amount of punishment, and they have to meet stress limits for both positive and negative G-loads.
“The level of turbulence required to dislodge an engine or bend a wing spar is something even the most frequent flyer—or pilot for that matter—won’t experience in a lifetime of travelling.”
The main concern for pilots will be the comfort of passengers, so often will result in them slowing down or rerouting to escape any wind tunnels.
However injuries have occurred in the past on planes experiencing turbulence.
In May a video emerged of the horrific scenes on board an Aeroflot plane as turbulence threw passengers all over the cabin en route from Moscow to Bangkok.
At least 20 people – including three babies – suffered major injuries including suspected broken bones in the carnage.