United flight 967 was a transcontinental flight from Washington, DC to Los Angeles. The flight, aboard a Boeing 777, was, according to reports, uneventful until it was over Missouri. Then the wide body aircraft was hit by severe turbulence.
Thirty people were injured, one seriously, and the plane immediately headed to Denver, and landed so the injured could be treated.
United reported there were storms in the area. Thunderstorms can act like mountains, massive in size, which force winds to blow over or around them. Like mountains, thunderstorms can create waves in winds flowing over them.
President Clinton knows all about severe turbulence from storms. In 1996, Clinton was flying at more than 30,000 feet in Air Force One over Texas when it flew through violent updrafts and downdrafts near a thunderstorm which severely shook the plane, injuring one.
I was flying east of Lisbon many years ago when we hit severe turbulence. Soon after the turbulence began, the plane dropped about 300 feet in seconds. Fortunately, no one was injured, but several were soaking wet from beverages which flew across the cabin.
I doubt there’s a commercial pilot living anywhere who hasn’t encountered turbulence many times. According to the National Center for Atmospheric Research,
The number of pilot–reported encounters with turbulence is substantial: over the US, moderate–or–greater pilot reports (PIREPs) average about 65,000/year, and severe–or–greater PIREPs average about 5,500/year.
On the flight, it’s been reported the flight attendants finished serving beverages just before the turbulence hit the plane. A few minutes later, when it hit hard, some passengers were thrown from their seats, and beverages, plus unstowed passengers’ belongings, flew across the cabin.
Kaoma Bechaz, a passenger on the plane said, the “fasten seat belt” sign went on just before the turbulence hit, and the flight attendants were seated. She said her seat belt was fastened and she was fine, but got soaked by flying tomato juice.
Apparently, some passengers didn’t fasten their seat belts. Of the 265 on the flight (255 passengers and 10 crew) 30 were hurt (11%), one critically.
According to FAA Regulation Sec. 121.317, “Each passenger required by §121.311(b) to occupy a seat or berth shall fasten his or her safety belt about him or her and keep it fastened while the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign is lighted.”
I’d be willing to bet that the injured passengers didn’t heed the “fasten seat belt” sign as directed, and/or were slow to return to their seats from the lavatories and other areas of the plane, as directed by the crew. I’ve certainly seen that kind of foolish behavior on many flights I’ve been on.
When the captain puts on the “fasten seat belt” sign, and the crew directs all passengers to their seats, it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever to ignore the directive.
Yes, I know, some are thinking they’ve been on flights like me, where the flight’s pretty smooth, and the seat belt sign seems to stay on forever. You might have thought the captain forgot the sign was on, or was overly cautious, but in the cockpit, they have considerable information about the atmospheric conditions being flown through, and that sign is left on for good reason.
My colleague, Janice Hough, has written about the flight. In her article she discussed the fact that there is no rule requiring passengers to wear their seat belts whenever seated, if the “fasten seat belt” sign isn’t on.
It looks like our readers at Consumer Traveler are smarter than many on United 967. Over and over again, commenting on that article, they agreed, you’ve got to wear your seat belt any time you’re seated on a plane. Turbulence can occur quickly and without much, if any, warning. I think Kaoma Bechaz, and William Jefferson Clinton would agree.
The main United 967 lessons are clear.
1. When the “fasten seat belt” sign is on, and the crew directs you to your seat from anywhere on the plane, obey the directives immediately.
2. When you’re seated on your flight, keep your seat belt fastened at all times.
In addition, I suggest you take a complete change of clothes in your carry-on. It’s possible you’ll be covered in tomato juice like Kaoma Bechaz, due to turbulence, or like me, become accidentally soaked when a flight attendant spilled soda all over my pants. You don’t want to sit in wet clothes for hours.
Don’t leave your personal belongings lying around on the floor of the plane, or on your seat, or if in business or first class, an arm rest or table. Stow it when not in use. You don’t want your book, computer or MP3 player smashing you in your head, possibly causing you serious injury, if turbulence hits.
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