Lufthansa Jet in Severe Turbulence

[Parapunter]

BBC were reporting this morning that a Lufthansa flight to the USA had experienced heavy turbulence & as a consequence, several pax were injured.

No other details around. anyone know anything?

[MUC089]

LH440, FRA-Houston, happened about 1 hour before scheduled landing. Some more information in the German magazin "Spiegel" http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,260284,00.html (in german).

[strafer]

Also here

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2035471

(Luckily the German for 'Houston Chronicle' is also Houston Chronicle)

[PaperTiger]

From the FAA
LUFTHANSA DLH 440, A343 HEAVY, ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE AT FL310, 244
PASSENGERS ON BOARD, 14 CREW, 31 PASSENGERS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES DUE TO
THE SEVERE TURBULENCE, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN, HOUSTON, TX

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 14 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 244 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 31 Unk:Quite some distance from the Atlantic.;)

[Ozzy]

Read this on cnn.com. Any further news, were all the pax released from hospital, is the plane grounded?

Ozzy

HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- A Lufthansa jet was shaken by severe turbulence over the Atlantic on Wednesday, and as many as 35 people were hurt, officials said.

Between seven to 10 people required hospital treatment when the plane landed at Bush Intercontinental Airport, its final destination. The injuries were not thought to be serious.

"They were tossed around a lot. Bags (from overhead bins) may have fallen on them," said Ernie DeSoto, spokesman for the airport system.

Lufthansa Flight 440, which originated from Frankfurt, Germany, was over the Atlantic when it began experiencing "some pretty bad turbulence," DeSoto said.

The wide-body plane, with 250 people on board, landed Wednesday afternoon in Houston, where it was met by several ambulances and fire trucks.

Besides those taken hospitals, about 25 passengers needed first aid treatment at the scene.

Initial reports also said the plane suffered some structural damage, DeSoto said.

[prattbrat]

Ozzy:

http://www.khou.com/news/local/khou030807_jt_lufthansa.106226bec.html

More details released on turbulent Lufthansa flight
08/07/2003

From 11 News Staff Reports


Officials from the FAA and NTSB released more details Thursday regarding the turbulent Lufthansa flight that landed in Houston Wednesday with injuries to 25 passengers and three crew members.

The NTSB took charge of the investigation Thursday which so far has revealed that there may be damage to ceiling tiles on the A-340 Airbus. They also reported the area of severe turbulence took place over Little Rock, Ark.

All injured passengers and crew members who were taken to the hospital have been treated and released with the exception of one person. Officials would not release whether that person was a passenger or a crew member.

Officials say the inspection of the jet will continue. Once it is cleared for flight, it will be flown back to Frankfurt, Germany without passengers. There it will be reinserted into Lufthansa's normal travel schedule.

Lufthansa officials addressed the lack of available personnel immediately following the incident was because the airline's staff at Bush Intercontinental consisted of only six people. The airline flew support crews to Houston from Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas once the they received news of the injured passengers.

[PlaneTruth]

But for a simple seatbelt, most would have escaped serious injury. Except, of course, those moving about the cabin at the time or those who served as a landing cushion for those moving about. Not to mention those injured by bags falling out of overhead bins.

PT

[Anti-ice]

I realise that the severity of predicted turbulnce can be hard to determine (unless another jet ahead of you has reported so) , but i wonder how much (if any) notice was given to the pax/crew?

I feel particularly sorry for the poor F/A who was 'pinned to the ceiling).

I was once on a flight where bad turbulence was forecast ,yet no message was passed onto the cabin crew / pax.
As we hit the turbulence it was horrendous (a 737-200) , we really thought the a/c would be ripped apart.

Most of the pax were strapped in, however it was 25 mins to landing and all the cabin crew were performing duties-we were smashed around like anything - all of us were badly bruised. I'd struck my head on both rear door operating handles. Another girl had bruising all up the back of her neck and a bad wrist sprain.
The 2 at the front had both hit the floor , one face down.

On landing into Italy, there was no PA from the flight crew ,and as we got off for a nightstop ,the pilots acted as if nothing had happened - total denial. It was surreal . We were in pain/shock/tears and they didnt give a damn.
They simply said 'whos coming out for dinner' .:rolleyes:

Now i know not many f/c would behave like this , but i'm still stunned to this day when i recall it.

I wish there was an instrument that could indicate turbulence levels and an international agreement reached when
A) to strap the passengers in.
B) to secure all equipment / strap all c/c in.

The 'severity' determined by f/c varys wildly at times.

[STS]

Picking up from Anti-ice, there's been one occassion where I've been on board as SLF and this has happened. Not very nice - on one of the flights, the old baggage falling out of overhead bins etc. Could have heard a pin drop amongst us. Not nice. Seatbelt sign on the whole way - don't think anyone would have taken them off anyway. Captain told us before take off that the weather on route was bad and turbulence expected. I found out from some of my friends working the flight, that the nice chaps on the flight deck had told them to stay in their jumpseats rather than giving us coffee because their safety came before our caffeine cravings. Fair play.

[frangatang]

How many times do passengers get told to keep their seatbelts fastened at all times whilst seated IN CASE OF UNEXPECTED
TURBULENCE and that advice is ignored by many.
How many times are the pax strapped in due actual turbulence
to then hear cabin crew asking if the signs can be switched of as
they want to get the tea/coffee served,presumably so the dears can get to the bunks asap. I have also had many occasions
where cabin crew have been told to remain in their seats after take off and that the sighns would be left on above 10000 feet
only to reveal via the security camera that they are wandering around soon after take off.

[Parapunter]

I asked about this flight, as I wanted to be sure all s.o.b.'s were ok. As it's developed, this thread has hit a nerve for me. Personally, I always leave my belt on if I'm sat in my seat. Why not make it mandatory on flights for safety?

It's not a burden to leave a lap belt on & it can save injuries, even lives.

[Rollingthunder]

My airline announces during the safety briefing that "you are required to fasten your seat belt at all times when seated". The seat belt sign does not go out until at cruising altitude and things are stable. FAs do not get out of their seats until the sign goes out.

[phnuff]

I never cease to be amused at the sound of multiple seat belts being undone the second the light goes out - and for what purpose ? Very few actually get up and walk.

Has anyone ever done any research on the subject to find out why so many wont keep them on ?? The only guess I could make is it gives the SLF a (false) sense of control over their own destiny?

[Fright Level]

I can never understand why people assume that the airline takes over responsibility for their personal safety once they step on board an aircraft.

All an airline can do is provide the equipment, brief and remind pax on it's use, but it's an impossible task to convince someone that they must still exercise caution and take responsibility for their own well being.

I like to use the phrase "keep your seatbelts fastened at all times during the flight, as we do here in the cockpit" to emphasise the issue in my PA's.