What do you mean "disbelieving?" Not believing, as in pilots don't believe severe turbulence exists, or simply not believing in reporting it as severe?
S-Guppy
More of the later as I have, on a number of rare occasions over the water, heard doubt raised as to the accuracy of a severe pirep. I am aware of the textbook definition of it but was rather surpised when someone called it that there seemed to have been so much doubt--particulary in the example of the LH flight calling severe whose pilots would certainly not be ones to blightly throw out the word.
As you stated, the
aircraft may be momentarily out of control. This however, does not mean that it is and therefore my wonderment why there would be radio calls seemingly doubting someone elses call.
Does this happen often? Indeed not, but I have heard it enough in 22 years to make me think about it.
The real point of my original post however, was just to find out what experience with this there has been--whether it be lee winds or horizontal vortex tubes spawned from the jet stream. I would think that your story of the f/e hitting the ceiling would qualify as one of those severe encounters.