Flight secrets: Pilot reveals if passengers should worry about turbulence
FLIGHTS can cause anxiety and fear for many, due to the various things that could go very wrong mid-air. One thing many Britons fear is the possibility of turbulence - but just how dangerous is it?
Flights: Pilot Patrick Smith debunks air travel myths
The fear of flying is something that many Britons suffer from, with a 2018 study finding that more than 21million Brits are more scared of flying compared to a decade ago.
One of the most common concerns for travellers is the fear of turbulence, which can vary from a very mild physical disturbance to being jolted left and right in your seat.
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While turbulence is caused by the air colliding at different speeds and directions, any inkling of it on a flight can scare many - but should passengers really fear turbulence?
Airline pilot Patrick Smith revealed the truth behind the phenomenon, saying that turbulence should never concern fliers.
“In all honesty, passengers should never worry about turbulence,” he told Express.co.uk.
“The aircraft is designed to take the stress and strain of turbulence. For example, it’s like designing a car with good enough suspension to drive over a rough surface road with potholes.”
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Mr Smith is the author of Cockpit Confidential, a 2013 NY-Times bestseller which further reveals the nuts and bolts of flying.
In the book, Mr Smith explained: “A plane cannot be flipped upside down, thrown into a tailspin or otherwise flung from the sky by even the mightiest gust or air pocket.
“Conditions might be annoying and uncomfortable, but the plane is not going to crash.”
Turbulence is graded on a scale of severity: light, moderate, severe and extreme.
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Extreme is rare but still not dangerous, although the plane will subsequently be examined by maintenance staff.
Turbulence does still cause some injuries, however.
“Each year, worldwide, about a hundred people, half of them flight attendants, are hurt by turbulence seriously enough to require medical attention - head, neck, shoulder and ankle injuries being the most common," Mr Smith continued.
“That works out to about 50 passengers. Fifty out of the two billion or so who fly each year.”
While severe turbulence injuries are rare, there have been a few major incidents in the past few years.
In 2019, 30 passengers were injured after severe turbulence tossed passengers on a flight from Istanbul to New York.
The Turkish Airlines flight hit turbulence while passing over Maine.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the crew declared an emergency while the Boeing 777 was still in the air and 40 minutes away from landing.
Steve Coleman, a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said 28 people were taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Queens and two went to Queens Hospital Medical Center.
Passengers reported seeing blood everywhere and a flight attendant had a broken leg, Mr Coleman said.
Passengers on an Emirates flight also sustained injuries on a 2019 flight to Dubai.
Emirates flight EK449 was flying from Auckland, New Zealand, when it hit a bumpy patch almost three hours before the flight was due to arrive in Dubai.
The turbulence was filmed by a passenger on the plane, and shows the effects of the turbulence in the first class section of the plane, with champagne bottles on the floor and overturned trolleys.
At the time of the flight an Emirates spokesperson said: “Unfortunately a few passengers and crew suffered minor injuries during this incident.
“First aid was administered and medical assistance was arranged for those who needed it on arrival.
“The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew is always our top priority.“
