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davidn3600

(6,342 posts) Thu Dec 31, 2015, 02:53 AM Dec 2015

Air Canada flight forced to make emergency landing due to severe turbulance; 21 injuries

An Air Canada flight encountered such severe turbulence on Wednesday that terrified passengers said they thought they were dying. The Boeing 777 had to land early after 21 people were injured, including three children.

The incident happened over Alaska on a flight from Shanghai to Toronto. The plane reportedly landed early in Calgary because of a trauma center there.

“It was nobody’s fault. Not the pilot’s. Everybody did the best they could,” passenger Connie Gelber told The Globe and Mail. “But honestly we felt we were dying. Like you see in the movies, where they all go up to the ceiling — everything went up to the ceiling that wasn’t anchored.”

Another passenger, Yi Lee, said he was nervous because “you don’t know how long it will take and then you don’t know if this plane can really handle that much violence.”

Rahim Ladhani, an anchor and reporter with CTV Calgary, reported on Twitter that the turbulence “lasted a total of 45 minutes in waves ‘like a roller coaster.’ Oxygen masks came down and people started crying.”

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/violent-turbulence-forces-air-canada-flight-to-061727412.html

10 replies

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Air Canada flight forced to make emergency landing due to severe turbulance; 21 injuries (Original Post) davidn3600 Dec 2015 OP

I always stay buckled in Ex Lurker Dec 2015 #1

Me too...poor peeps, must have been awful. haikugal Dec 2015 #2

So do I nt newfie11 Dec 2015 #10

This is why you keep your seatbelt fastened and your personal bag stowed under the seat in tblue37 Dec 2015 #3

Just one minute of this is torture Renew Deal Dec 2015 #4

I'm not afraid of turbulance but jeez, my stomach Skittles Dec 2015 #7

To think that "jetting to the coast" used to be for the rich. The rest of us flew Greyhound. Spitfire of ATJ Dec 2015 #5

I've been through such a thing. longship Dec 2015 #6

agreed Skittles Dec 2015 #8

That's actually quite reassuring. frizzled Dec 2015 #9

Ex Lurker

(3,814 posts)

1. I always stay buckled in

Reply to davidn3600 (Original post)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 02:57 AM

Dec 2015

unless I get up and go to the bathroom.

haikugal

(6,476 posts)

2. Me too...poor peeps, must have been awful.

Reply to Ex Lurker (Reply #1)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 03:09 AM

Dec 2015

newfie11

(8,159 posts)

10. So do I nt

Reply to Ex Lurker (Reply #1)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 08:45 AM

Dec 2015

tblue37

(65,393 posts)

3. This is why you keep your seatbelt fastened and your personal bag stowed under the seat in

Reply to davidn3600 (Original post)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 03:35 AM

Dec 2015

front of you to reduce the number and size of potential missiles.

Renew Deal

(81,861 posts)

4. Just one minute of this is torture

Reply to davidn3600 (Original post)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 03:41 AM

Dec 2015

I can't imagine 45 minutes

Skittles

(153,164 posts)

7. I'm not afraid of turbulance but jeez, my stomach

Reply to Renew Deal (Reply #4)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 04:46 AM

Dec 2015

it gives me fits

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)

5. To think that "jetting to the coast" used to be for the rich. The rest of us flew Greyhound.

Reply to davidn3600 (Original post)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 04:26 AM

Dec 2015

longship

(40,416 posts)

6. I've been through such a thing.

Reply to davidn3600 (Original post)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 04:42 AM

Dec 2015

Rule #1: Stay buckled up!

In my case it was wind shear at altitude in a 707, transiting from a head on jet stream. The only solution is to nose down to recover lift. The damned airplane plummeted thousands of feet on descending from high altitude in a matter of seconds. Thankfully I was a Boeing engineer working on the KC-135R, the re-engined military version of the 707. So I knew what was happening.

That did not stop people from weeping and crying during the descent. The fucking wings were flapping like a bird. But I knew that the wing spars could take such punishment and I told both of my seat mates that it was normal and what was happening. Somehow they did not stop the weeping.

When the pilot told everybody to buckle up now just before it began, one dude did not do so. During the extreme turbulence he hit his head on the overhead. Once we landed, he was still in his seat. I suppose that he needed healthcare, the stupid idiot.

A scary flight, thankfully in a 707 with a good pilot. I told him so upon exiting.

Skittles

(153,164 posts)

8. agreed

Reply to longship (Reply #6)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 04:47 AM

Dec 2015

it's just a good idea to stay buckled up and people, make 'em SNUG

frizzled

(509 posts)

9. That's actually quite reassuring.

Reply to longship (Reply #6)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 05:34 AM

Dec 2015

I don't think a plane has ever crashed from turbulence; I'll try to remember that next time I hit some.

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