Turbulent times — Do they mean it’s time for a stricter seat-belt rule?

by Janice Hough on July 22, 2010


In the latest airline turbulence “incident,” nobody died, although from based on published reports, as in the San Francisco Chronicle, Wednesday, a few people came pretty close.

In brief, a United Airlines 777 en-route from Dulles to Los Angeles, not exactly a small plane, was hit by such severe and sudden turbulence over Missouri, that over 20 people were injured, and one woman reported “jolted out of her seat so forcefully that she left a crack when she hit the side of the cabin.”

Most of the time, I consider myself on the libertarian side of so-called “nanny-laws.” I have mixed feelings about helmet laws with motorcycles and feel that if someone wants to open a restaurant that allows smoking, they should have that right.

We live in a democratic society and in general, the rules and laws are moving more towards protecting people, whether they want it or not. Unfortunately, as good as radar and other detection systems are getting, some turbulence is still apparently unforeseeable.

Given this trend towards protection, why doesn’t the FAA simply state “Airline passengers need to keep seat belts on at all times when they are sitting in their seats.”

I do understand the need to move around — not just for lavatory visits, especially for passengers who may have circulatory problems, and on long flights. And most travelers at some point or another realize they really shouldn’t have put some item in their overhead bins. Or, it becomes time for a change in reading material.

But when actually sitting down, I don’t see the point of sitting without a seat belt. It’s not as if these things are tourniquets or as if having a seatbelt off means any more legroom.

Even a loosely fastened seatbelt means much less chance of being thrown around the cabin. A friend pointed out that perhaps the “You are now free to move around the cabin,” phrase dates from the days when airlines actually had things like pubs and piano bars on some of their planes and when going to the galley for free snacks was an option.

The airlines have rules for everything from overhead bin weight, to cramming stuff in the seatpocket, to keeping the floor area in front of the seat clear.

Not to mention all the TSA restrictions. Personally, while I dutifully follow the 3 ounce rule, it seems to me passengers are a lot more at risk from sitting unbelted in their seats than from any larger bottles of liquids.

What do you think, Consumer Traveler readers?

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Tagged as: airline turbulence, FAA, seatbelt regulations, seatbelts, united airlines

  • Scott

    Every flight I’ve been on, the announcement includes something like “its is this airline’s policy that seated passengers keep their seat belt fastened when seated. This is in case we encounter any unexpected turbulence.”

    I’m curious if 30 people were getting something out of the overhead bin or using the rest room (~15% of the passengers). Yes, I do hope everyone is okay, this is a statistic comment, not intented to be personal.

    What is not needed is flights keeping the seat belt sign on all the time. The end result then is people will start getting up whenever as restroom needs become urgent.

  • http://terrypilot767@sbcglobal.net terry cummings

    absolutely at all times while seated. suppose it is ingrained in me having been involved in aviation since preflight in sept 1952 but i wouldn’t even drive across the street without putting it on. doesn’t have to be tight but for God’s sake have it buckled up

  • Annette

    Actually FAA regulations DO state that. It’s been announced as part of the regular spiel on every single flight I’ve taken, and there are signs located at every seat as per FAA guidlines:
    “Sec. 121.317
    (d) No person may operate a passenger-carrying airplane under this part unless at least one legible sign or placard that reads “Fasten Seat Belt While Seated” is visible from each passenger seat.”

    Signs are usually on or around the tray table and look like this:
    http://comps.fotosearch.com/comp/UPC/UPC005/fasten-seat-belt_~swm01072.jpg
    or
    http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kslcizPX3C1qao7s8o1_500.jpg

    So the questions really are, why isn’t the regulation enforced, and why don’t people care about following it?

  • Frank

    Given this trend towards protection, why doesn’t the FAA simply state “Airline passengers need to keep seat belts on at all times when they are sitting in their seats.
    ===================================================

    IT DOES. It’s in our announcements, video announcements when we reach 10 thousand feet. (apparently you werent listening?)

    I’ve been thrown to the ceiling twice in my career. In 1997, a coworker and I were thrown out of our jumpseats to the ceiling forcefully because the plane dropped over 700 feet. I landed hard, but safely on the galley floor while my coworker was NOT so lucky. An ambulance met the flight, they taped her to a board and rushed her to the hospital. No feeling in her legs for two days! Ruptured disc’s in her back, out of work for almost a year.

  • Doug

    Personally, I always keep my seatbelt on when seated. I loosen it a bit for comfort, but it remains buckled. I would suspect most frequent fliers do the same. There are just too many instances of unexpected turbulence to not do that.

    As for whether the rule should be enforced, it can be argued that the state should not force behavior to protect yourself, but somebody in the seat next to me who’s not belted in and flies up and lands in my lap affects me as well.

  • adrian j pater

    The 3 ounce rule is a joke. I travel regularly,both domestic and international, and carry a 8 ounce plastic bottle in my pocket. Plastic does not set off the detector. If the 8 ounce bottle can be taken past security by anyone, surely terrorists are familiar with circumventing this rule. I worked for an airline for 5 years and I have yet to be at an airport where I could not drive my car to operations right by the planes. This can be done without any clearance if one knows how. TSA is here to harass and make people feel safer. Freight is rarely checked and is on nearly every flight.

  • Lyn G

    From the AP article on this incident, “the FAA had issued a warning to the aircraft about thunderstorms before it hit the turbulence”. If the FAA told the plane about turbulence, and the pilot flew through thunderstorms anyway (these can be seen on the weather radar in the cockpit) without telling everyone to sit down and buckle up (including the FAs), I think there is some negligence here. Both the FAA and NTSB are investigating, let’s see what they say.

    I flew across the US yesterday and in the middle of the flight it was bumpy. The captain told everyone, including the FAs, to sit down and buckle up. Some people ignored that directive and continue to move around for quite some time.

    I do believe you are right in saying that during a flight, every passenger that is sitting should be wearing a seat belt. Just common sense. I guess we need to legislate that with today’s travelers.

  • CT

    I always keep my seatbelt fastened when in my seat, and I’d really appreciate it my fellow passengers did likewise. I weigh 105 but most of them top 200 or more these days. That kind of mass will cause major injury if it hits me at multiple Gs.

    While we’re on the subject, why don’t the FAA and airline acknowledge the laws of physics with respect to lap children? I’m not allowed to have a 10 lb laptop out during takeoff and landing, and have even been chided for having my Bose headphone case in the seat pocket. Yet it’s OK for a 25 lb object, secured only by a parent’s arms, to be sitting essentially unsecured right next to me? Even if the parents, FAA and airlines don’t give a hoot about the life of a child, they should care about the damage the infant-cum-projectile will inflict on others as it ricochets through the cabin.

  • linda

    being a former flight attendant I am in total agreement with keeping seatbelts on, except for necessary bathroom breaks…however how in the world do flight attendants check??? It is nearly impossible. I think the better idea is to forewarn those who decide to keep their seatbelts unfastened, that in the event of unexpected turbulence, there will be no compensation…bet that would be quite a motivator!

  • Matthew in NYC

    I always, always keep my seat belt fastened “low and tight” when sitting in my seat. When on a long haul flight, I fasten it over the blanket if I’m sleeping. I’ve been through enough turbulence to know how dangerous it can be to fly without it. I also tend to use the lavatory sufficiently regularly that an emergency is forestalled – it is important to use the lavatory before you board the plane because it could be an hour before you can use the one on the plane. If there is an announcement from the cockpit that there will be turbulence in 22 minutes, that might be a good time to assess whether you need to stand up for something. If you are healthy, and on a flight of less than 2 -3 hours, try to moderate your fluid consumption so that you won’t need the lavatory – leave it to those with health issues.

  • Ron

    Linda asks how the seatbelts can be checked. It is really fairly easy. Many theme park rides have a light panel that turns green if all of the seatbelts are fastened. As for me, I never sit in my seat without the belt fastened. I have hit turbulence one too many times and seen people thrown down the aisle. Not for me thank you very much.

  • Natalie

    We are worried about seat belts being fastened while seated in case of turbulence and how that will be enforced? How about they start enforcing staying in your seat with the seatbelt is fastened while the seatbelt light is ON. It never fails. Every single flight I’m on, there are folks that think the seatbelt light doesn’t apply to them and they’re up out of their seat. The flight attendants say nothing (yes, I know this is a personal sample size). I always try my best to make sure I go to the restroom right before I get on the plane and go during the flight when I have my chance.

  • ton

    people will be dumb, in this case this can injure other people.

    But to be honest airlines can be dumb also, earlier in the year i flew with martinair (a air france/klm daughter) and we were issued a media player, which means about 3 or 4 pounds of battery with a little screen, if you hit turbulence these things would be deadly

  • Alan

    I agree with the need to remain in the seat with the seat belt fastened when the light is on. However, I have been on a lot of flights where the pilot left the light on well past the time it should have been turned off. I always use the lavatory before I board but I am now at the age that I need to use the bathroom often. Sometimes I cannot wait for the pilot to wake up and finally turn off the fasten seat belt sign and must get up or face a possible accident.

    I would gladly support tighter enforcement of keeping the seat belt on while actually in the seat and remaining in the seat when the the light is on but that will only work if the pilot recognizes that the light should not be keep on when when not actually needed.

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