AC88 diverted after turbulence

[prairiedoc]

Injured passengers treated in Calgary after turbulence diverts Air Canada flight | Calgary Herald (http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/aircraft-passengers-flying-into-calgary-airport-with-injuries-from-turbulence)

[pattern_is_full]

FlightAware shows they started jinking around after passing Anchorage (looking for better ride?). Then the diversion.

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA88

It's a mountainous area from PANC into the Yukon.

[Longtimer]

I would bet that since there were no reported crew injuries, the command had been issued to buckle up and since it was AC I know the instructions would have been delivered by the FAs in multi languages. I see that AC has clapped on an extra section (AC2088._ to move the rest of the passengers tonight to their YYZ destination. Just another advantage of flying on a Major Carrier rather than a discounter!


Calgary Int'l (CYYC)
Toronto Pearson Int'l (CYYZ)
08:10PM MST
01:22AM EST (+1)
Scheduled:
08:00PM MST
Scheduled:
01:12AM EST (+1)
Duration: 3 hours 12 minutes
Wednesday, 30 December 2015
Status
Scheduled (in 1 hours 33 minutes)
Aircraft
Boeing 777-300ER (twin-jet) (B77W – photos)
Speed
Filed: 479 kts (graph)
Altitude
Filed: 35,000 feet (graph)
Distance
Direct: 2,692 km Planned: 2,716 km
Route
LOMLO Q979 TULOV Q961 DAPOP VBI J500 YQT OTNIK BOXUM2

[HighAndFlighty]

More than 20 passengers have been taken to hospital after severe turbulence forced an Air Canada flight to divert to Calgary.


Called the "flight from hell" by one shaken passenger, Flight AC088 from Shanghai to Toronto made an unscheduled landing at about 3.30pm on Tuesday (local time) after violent turbulence sent passengers flying out of their seats.

A sudden and violent drop sent some passengers flying out of their seats and down the aisle, slamming into walls and the overhead baggage compartments

Passenger Bing Feng said people were screaming and praying as the oxygen masks fell from above their heads.

Emergency services assessed 25 passengers on the ground at Calgary Airport, most for neck and back injuries, transporting 21 people to hospital, including three children.

Several passengers were wheeled through the airport terminal on stretchers and loaded into 15 waiting ambulances.

None of the injuries were life threatening, however seven passengers suffered injuries deemed serious, according to an emergency services spokesman, Stuart Brideaux

Passenger Connie Gelber said the girl sitting beside her was thrown "right out of her seat down the aisle".

"It was frightening … Honestly, we didn't know if we were going to live or die," Ms Gelber told news site Windsor Star, dubbing the ordeal the "flight from hell".

Fellow passenger Liu Pinzhou also recounted seeing passengers "fly" through the cabin when the turbulence hit.

"It was crazy," he said.

21 Air Canada passengers injured by strong turbulence https://t.co/3HVij0Lu1D pic.twitter.com/vWkXDc2eqB"
— syed zabiullah (@syed2000) December 31, 2015

Rui Jhao disembarked with a bruised and bleeding forehead.

"I flew out and hit the wall, so I got damaged," he said.

An 11-year-old girl was treated for back pain from Calgary South Health Campus after she was bucked from her seat.

He father Chang Wang said she was asleep and was not wearing her seatbelt when the turbulence hit.

"She has some bruising, but I think she is going to be OK," Mr Wang said.

Another 11-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy were also taken to hospital with suspected injuries.

Confirming AC088 Shanghai-Toronto, encountered turbulence en route, diverted Calgary, landed 15:23 MT. We are taking care of passengers. 1/2
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) December 30, 2015

A preliminary count suggested the plane as carrying 332 passengers and 19 crew, Air Canada advised.

Passenger Gord Murray said the cabin crew were very professional throughout, and the pilot had made an earlier announcement warning everyone to brace for turbulence.

Canada's Transportation Safety Board sent two investigators to the Calgary airport.

It is understood the turbulence was encountered over Alaska.

The investigators will request the aircraft's black box and will interview Air Canada employees, said spokeswoman Julie Leroux.

"They will see if they can gather enough evidence to understand what happened," she said.'Flight from hell': 21 Air Canada passengers in hospital after severe turbulence forced landing (http://www.smh.com.au/world/flight-from-hell-21-air-canada-passengers-in-hospital-after-severe-turbulence-forced-landing-20151231-glxdyf.html)

[HighAndFlighty]

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/zlWvBNWiskk (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FzlWvBNWiskk&redir_token=Qp8PfzXKdhgktW4gXkVDKGuI-zl8MTQ1MTYyNDk0MkAxNDUxNTM4NTQy)

[torquemada60]

When are chinese going to learn how to listen to the announcements and when it is time to buckle up, you :mad: buckle up!!!!! Every time I fly from or to China in any airlines, chinese are the most unruly rude noisy and the first to ruch to the door when the plane lands...:ugh:

[Aluminium shuffler]

Wang should be prosecuted for child neglect.

[Loose rivets]

I don't think it will be Wang that's prosecuted.

So many people have no idea about simple Newtonian physics. They have to have it spelled out and then enforced. Sleeping people should have the belt on the outside of the blanket.


I even had a loader saying some iron ballast didn't need a net - because it was heavy.

[skridlov]

"I even had a loader saying some iron ballast didn't need a net - because it was heavy."

I even heard that a couple of pilots for major carriers heard stall warnings and pulled the nose up.

There's a lot of it about...

[Hotel Tango]

My first reaction when I read this is that I have personally witnessed, on numerous occasions, that a large majority of Chinese passengers consistently fail to obey instructions and regulations when travelling. So, it does not surprise me in the least.

[TeachMe]

Points to the CBC on-line article for only using the term 'terrified passengers' once and including a strong sub-text as to the need to buckle up at all times seated.

[jack11111]

For some folk living quiet, desperate lives, the only rebellion they will ever do is to not wear a seat belt.

[Yankee Whisky]

This may have contributed;


National Weather Service, Alaska Region Headquarters, AK (http://www.arh.noaa.gov/hazards.php)

[India Four Two]

For some folk living quiet, desperate lives, the only rebellion they will ever do is to not wear a seat belt. jack,

I disagree with you. I've spent many years flying to and from, and within Southeast Asia. I think it is more of a cultural thing, combined with a fatalistic attitude. It is only recently that I have managed to persuade some of my Vietnamese friends to use car seatbelts.

In my experience, AC is one of the best airlines when it comes to checking seatbelts, after the sign is switched on. I feel sorry for the Air Canada crew - it must be very difficult dealing with passengers who don't understand why seat belts are so important.

On a side note, the flight number was obviously picked because of its lucky connotations in China. I wonder if they will have to change it now? ;)

[alexguru]

Have witnessed Chinese passengers on domestic flights not use seat belts on take off and landing.

[evansb]

Tai Chi, Confucianism and Feng Shui all seem meaningless when you witness the cabin behavior and queue etiquette.

Time for a tech solution? Seat-belt unfastened warning light and chime? Nah...just another thing that adds weight and requires maintenance.

[FlightlessParrot]

Tai Chi, Confucianism and Feng Shui all seem meaningless when you witness the cabin behavior and queue etiquette.


I think the point is that Confucianism was attacked on the mainland under Mao, with a general decline in couth that the PRC government now recognises as a problem. Big difference in behaviour between Chinese people in the diaspora and from the PRC/Mainland/China. Google will find you stories about mainland tourists in Hong Kong and the locals' reaction. Don't know what airlines can do about it, but at a sufficiently high level they might get co-operation from the government of China for an education campaign.

[Bangkokian]

It is most decidedly a thing with Mainland Chinese - and the closer you get to Mainland China, the worse. Vietnam being an example. Indians are also very bad about this as are Russians. The perception among some is that it is a developing country issue or a racial issue or a lack of education issue, but this misses the real issue, which is societies in which people are encouraged to break rules as a matter of course to gain advantage.

Sure, you will see people blithely unbuckling seatbelts all over the planet - from the US to Thailand to Australia to the UK and beyond. What you will not see is every single person from a single culture proudly flaunting every single rule they can find - from carryons to seatbelts to window shades up to using phones and so on. The Mainland Chinese in particular take pride is showing to others that they were the first to flaunt a rule and they are loathed throughout Asia for their behavior.

[Espada III]

I have dealt on a professional (property) basis with Chinese from Hong Kong and Mainland, in the UK. You could always trust a Hong Kong guy to pay your bill, and would not disappear without paying rent. The Mainland guys (and gals) ignore you, ride roughshod over any agreement, are always late in paying bills/rent and are generally much harder to deal with. They have no understanding of loyalty, of apology or simple business etiquette.

[egsshell]

India 42 said "In my experience, AC is one of the best airlines when it comes to checking seatbelts, after the sign is switched on. I feel sorry for the Air Canada crew - it must be very difficult dealing with passengers who don't understand why seat belts are so important."

Unfortunately in my limited experience AC are NOT very good at checking seatbelts. I've flown several times with them, most recently LHR-YVR and back. The return flight was after the AC88 incident but that hasn't seemed to changed their procedures. I'd roughly guess that the seat-belt sign went on about 7 times on those last flights and only 2 generated a cabin announcement. Rest of the time crew seemed oblivious to the fact and there were people strolling around to washrooms which were not locked. I've noted this on previous flights as well.

So, probably not just a cultural thing. BA aren't any better :sad:

[Hotel Tango]

egsshell, Since when are the washrooms locked down by F/As? That's a new one to me! North American crews tend to be over zealous with the seat belt signs out of a paranoia which has grown from ridiculous litigation. On a long flight when signs are kept on, and cabin crew are seen to be moving around serving, there comes a time when pax will need to use the washrooms and will do so. I, for instance, accept without argument that when the sign is on and I elect to go to the washroom I do so at my own risk. It is however, an entirely different matter when the FD instruct cabin crew to strap in due to expected turbulence. Although it is not clear that it was so, this may well have been the case in this incident since it would appear that no cabin crew were injured. It should also be noted that the FD made a very specific announcement warning that the expected turbulence would be significant.

[enola-gay]

1. Why are there no seat belts in the toilets and why no loo queue seats with belts? Peeing is a normal human activity triggered by reflexes.
2. Why do cabin crew serve refreshments when the seat belt sign is illuminated? Should they not sit down and put the trolley away?
3. Why is there no pee bag to supplement the puke bag? B52 pilots have them.
4. Why do the flight deck crew never say why the belt light has been illuminated?
5. In fact why do they no longer make any announcements in cruise flight?
6. Why do cabin crew get a 4 point anchor and SLF get a lap belt?
7. Does insurance play into these anomalies?
8. Did Gerard Depardieu make a valid statement when he peed into a wine bottle? Why was he hounded for that when the seat belt stopped him from using the loo in a deperate condition. Should he have pi55ed his pants and the seat fabric? Bladders can be uncontrollable for some folk even at 35,000 ft.

[India Four Two]

egsshell,

We've obviously had different experiences. The worst airline for checking seat belts in my experience is Thai Airways (TG).

After landing on a TG flight, my wife realized she had accidentally left her seat belt undone. On my next flight, I tried an experiment, leaving my seat belt obviously undone when the crew were passing through the cabin, checking for security, before takeoff or landing. It took ten consecutive TG sectors before an FA noticed and asked me to buckle up!

[hr2pilot]

I honestly thought for a moment that I would take five minutes to answer enola-gays questions....then I realized that would have been five of the most wasted minutes of my life that I would never had gotten back.

What was I thinking?

[Sky Slug]

No doubt every injured person was either Chinese or a flight attendant.

Life, or a fasten seat belt sign, doesn't have a value in certain cultures.