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nitpicker

(7,153 posts)
Wed Aug 31, 2016, 06:38 AM Aug 2016

Shannon Airport emergency landing: 16 in hospital

Source: BBC

Shannon Airport emergency landing: 16 in hospital

17 minutes ago

From the section Europe

Sixteen people have been injured after turbulence prompted a transatlantic flight to make an emergency landing in the Republic of Ireland. Fourteen passengers and two crew members were taken to hospital from Shannon Airport at about 06:00 BST.

The United Airlines flight was travelling from Houston, Texas, to London Heathrow. The emergency landing followed "severe and unexpected turbulence", said the airline in a statement. The injured passengers and crew were taken to University Hospital, Limerick, for treatment.
(snip)



Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37228479

15 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Shannon Airport emergency landing: 16 in hospital (Original Post) nitpicker Aug 2016 OP
Too many aviation mishaps recently question everything Aug 2016 #1
I wonder madokie Aug 2016 #2
I'm not sure about that but I can see a possible connection... discntnt_irny_srcsm Aug 2016 #4
The reason I said that madokie Aug 2016 #5
Air turbulence jimmil Aug 2016 #7
I can see that as a reason for connecting them discntnt_irny_srcsm Aug 2016 #8
San Diego and Warner Springs madokie Aug 2016 #9
I never made it to San Diego discntnt_irny_srcsm Aug 2016 #10
Our little camp at Warner Springs post office madokie Aug 2016 #12
I'd say there's zero connection. PoindexterOglethorpe Aug 2016 #14
Passengers not wearing seatbelts. FLPanhandle Aug 2016 #3
long before some airlines instituted the allan01 Aug 2016 #6
Clear air turbulence and climate change pdxflyboy Aug 2016 #11
Welcome to DU LittleGirl Aug 2016 #13
Thanks for the info, and welcome. elleng Aug 2016 #15

discntnt_irny_srcsm

(18,470 posts)
4. I'm not sure about that but I can see a possible connection...
Wed Aug 31, 2016, 10:09 AM
Aug 2016

...between air turbulence and global warming.

madokie

(51,076 posts)
5. The reason I said that
Wed Aug 31, 2016, 10:15 AM
Aug 2016

is when I was in the Navy all those years ago, late 60s to Oct 70, I flew in a lot of commercial aircraft and when we'd be coming into LA airport most times there would be some serious turbulence. They said it was because of the mountains we just came over but who knows. California was having a lot of earthquakes during that time

737s and 727s and look out the window and the wings would look like a bird flapping its wings. Once the pilot told us that we had just fell 300 ft.

jimmil

(629 posts)
7. Air turbulence
Wed Aug 31, 2016, 10:35 AM
Aug 2016

can be but highly unlikely almost anywhere and known as CAT. Airline pilots are warned about it when they are known and usually ascend or descend to miss them. The California things is usually a mountain wave where the air column is accelerated up a mountain face and over the top causing a rotary wave. Gliders use this to gain altitude especially around Livermore. Another cause of turbulence is heat and dark plowed fields. Those are thermals and can go up several thousand feet. A third cause is the lifting action caused by rainstorms. When a rainstorm dumps its water there is a severe down flow and outward flow of air from the storm.

discntnt_irny_srcsm

(18,470 posts)
8. I can see that as a reason for connecting them
Wed Aug 31, 2016, 10:42 AM
Aug 2016

I think between the mountains and the meeting of the hot air off the desert to the East and the cooler air off the water meeting, those seem more likely to generate unpredictable turbulence.

https://www.aviationweather.gov/windtemp/plot

I live near Philly and worked across the street from LAX for several years. One rough takeoff on a red-eye I just about lost an arm to the grip of the woman next to me.

Navy huh; San Diego?

discntnt_irny_srcsm

(18,470 posts)
10. I never made it to San Diego
Wed Aug 31, 2016, 11:03 AM
Aug 2016

Several times to Orange County but no further.

Warner Springs sounds like it would kind of hot in the Summer.

madokie

(51,076 posts)
12. Our little camp at Warner Springs post office
Wed Aug 31, 2016, 11:31 AM
Aug 2016

was one mile high so we had pretty much the same weather as northeast oklahoma has, what I was used too.
we could see mount Palomar to the west of us from our camp.
It was great duty. We were isolated and only 95 to 105 stationed there so we got the same rations as the Submarine crews did. We had Lobster every friday.

Being an okie I never had eaten lobster before. Lobster looks just like our crawdads only bigger. Our crawdads don't look anything like the ones in Louisiana or down south do. Completely different creature. Ours are just a small version of the lobster

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,750 posts)
14. I'd say there's zero connection.
Wed Aug 31, 2016, 12:26 PM
Aug 2016

I doubt there's an uptick in air turbulence directly over the place where a major earthquake is actually occurring.

Mountains are somewhat notorious of updrafts and downdrafts.

Think about where hot air balloons are typically launched: where the ground is flat. Or where hang-gliding takes place: where there's enough ground irregularity, such as next to a hill or cliff, to create the up and down drafts needed.

Invoking earthquakes makes no sense.

For what it's worth, earthquakes occur every single day somewhere on the planet. Here's a little chart that shows how incredibly common earthquakes are:

Frequency of Occurrence of Earthquakes
Magnitude Average Annually
8 and higher
7 - 7.9 15 ¹
6 - 6.9 134 ²
5 - 5.9 1319 ²
4 - 4.9 13,000 (estimated)
3 - 3.9 130,000 (estimated)
2 - 2.9 1,300,000 (estimated)

These numbers are based on observations since 1900.

We live on a very dynamic planet. The earth itself is in constant motion, as are the oceans and the air.

Clear Air Turbulence is a thing. It happens.

FLPanhandle

(7,107 posts)
3. Passengers not wearing seatbelts.
Wed Aug 31, 2016, 09:57 AM
Aug 2016

As a frequent flyer, I always wear the seatbelt. Been in too many "clear air turbulence" incidents.

The crew (flight attendants) have to be up and about, but the passengers, if belted, would not have been injured.

allan01

(1,950 posts)
6. long before some airlines instituted the
Wed Aug 31, 2016, 10:26 AM
Aug 2016

rule to keep your seat belt on at all times , i kept mine on after hearing about stories like this. thoughts for speedy recovery for the passengers and crew..

pdxflyboy

(672 posts)
11. Clear air turbulence and climate change
Wed Aug 31, 2016, 11:26 AM
Aug 2016

The increase in CAT caused by climate change is unquestionable, IMO. I fly for a major airline. I have been mentioning to my wife for 3 years or so, that I'll work a 4-day trip...a coast-to-coast flight every day, and unable to find any smooth air at practically any altitude. Been flying professionally since 1983 and I've never experienced an increase in the frequency of turbulence encounters as I have over the past few years.

LittleGirl

(8,261 posts)
13. Welcome to DU
Wed Aug 31, 2016, 11:52 AM
Aug 2016

and thanks for your input. I just flew to and from the states (from Europe) and we flew at 39k ft which I thought was really high. No turbulence up there and it was a smooth flight both ways. Thank you for those smooth rides,

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