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Turbulence causes mid-air panic on Kulula flight to Cape Town
Turbulence causes mid-air panic on Kulula flight to Cape Town | IOL
Life amongst the passengers was clearly interesting ("trying to open the emergency doors while the plane was going sideways", passengers getting out of their seats, and an air hostess screaming in fear). I'm not an airman, and I'm sure that I would have been terrified. How would the pilots have felt? It occurs to me that the structural strength of a modern jet is truly stupendous. Turbulence causes mid-air panic on Kulula flight to Cape Town News | 7 June 2017, 4:23pm Latashia Naidoo Passengers aboard a Kulula flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town this morning experienced mid-air terror – when the aircraft was hit by heavy turbulence shortly before landing at Cape Town International Airport. Johannesburg-based publicist, Gavin Prins, was a passenger on the flight. Domestic and regional airline Comair, which is a British Airways franchise holder, has ordered four more new generation Boeing 737-800s for its low cost division, kulula.com. Photo: Matthew Jordaan Speaking to Independent Media a few hours after the ordeal, Prins said he was lucky to be alive. "We had just passed over Somerset West when the plane suddenly dropped what felt like three storeys, and began tilting sideways," a still-shaken Prins recalled. He said the plane was battered by extreme turbulence, and felt as if it was being 'trapped in air pockets between the clouds'. "At one point you could hear the engine; it sounded like a car accelerating very fast. The next thing we knew, the plane was nose up, with the tail pointed downwards. It felt like the pilot was trying to stabilise it by flying up and out of all the clouds and turbulence." Prins said the six-minute ordeal felt like it had lasted a lifetime. "I am still traumatised. I was screaming, everyone around me was screaming. Three or four people got out of their seats at one point while the plane was going sideways, and tried to open the emergency exits. "An air hostess came over the radio to tell us to remain calm and in our seats, and then the plane was battered by the winds again, and she started screaming too." Prins said that when the pilot eventually managed to regain control of the aircraft and make a shaky landing at Cape Town International, he couldn't believe that they had survived the flight. "I thought I was going to die. I kept thinking about my three children, and my four-year-old daughter who had begged to fly with me this morning. "I can't imagine what would've happened had she come with. When I entered the terminal building, the tears just started flowing uncontrollably. When I fetched my rental car, I was still shaking," Prins said. He added that the only communication he had received from Kulula, was in a tweet: William Smook, senior consultant for Meropa Communications, issued a statement on behalf of kulula.com. "A passenger aboard a kulula.com flight to Cape Town International Airport today was hurt when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence during the descent after the fasten-seatbelt instruction had been given. "The incident occurred in clear weather about 20 minutes out of Cape Town. Our highly-trained crew assisted the passenger," Smook said. He added that the safety of Kulula customers and crew was the foremost priority. Meanwhile, Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) spokesperson Deidre Davids confirmed to Independent Media that no flights had been cancelled flying in or out of Cape Town International Airport today. "Most flights departed or arrived on schedule, and all flights remain on schedule for this evening. However, two flights that were due to land in Cape Town this morning were diverted, due to the heavy winds. One plane diverted to East London, and the other to Johannesburg," Davids said. Anyone traveling to or from Cape Town on domestic or international flights this evening is instructed to confirm flight details on the airline website prior to departure. |
As one who has been stopping at Cape Town for 50 years, I am going to state the obvious. Sorry if this sounds harsh and it may well be that the media have enhanced his words even further.
publicist, Gavin Prins, was a passenger on the flight. Prins said he was lucky to be alive. Yes, he survived the jourbey to JNB and from CPT into the City, both of which kill people everyday. He said the plane was battered by extreme turbulence, and felt as if it was being 'trapped in air pockets between the clouds'. How perspicacious of him to have identified the most likely cause of mid-air turbulence. "At one point you could hear the engine; it sounded like a car accelerating very fast. The next thing we knew, the plane was nose up, with the tail pointed downwards. It felt like the pilot was trying to stabilise it by flying up and out of all the clouds and turbulence." How perspicacious of him to have identified the most likely reason for the aircraft attitude as the flight crew continued to get everyone on board safely to their destination. "I am still traumatised. I was screaming, everyone around me was screaming. Three or four people got out of their seats at one point while the plane was going sideways, and tried to open the emergency exits. Screaming can be infectious Prins said that when the pilot eventually managed to regain control of the aircraft and make a shaky landing at Cape Town International... I think Prins will find that the crew had control of the aircraft throughout and whose word do we have for it being a 'shaky' landing? "A passenger aboard a kulula.com flight to Cape Town International Airport today was hurt when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence during the descent after the fasten-seatbelt instruction had been given. The incident occurred in clear weather about 20 minutes out of Cape Town. Our highly-trained crew assisted the passenger," Smook said. So the seat belt sign was on and they were all strapped in and they all survived. In South Africa, surviving every day is a bonus. |
What a sensatioalist, hysterical, irrational load of bolleaux.
Paxboy has it pretty well covered. eventually managed to regain control of the aircraft and make a shaky landing |
Conflicting job descriptions.
"Johannesburg-based publicist, Gavin Prins, was a passenger on the flight."
I would not confuse a publicist with a journalist. |
Originally Posted by PAXboy
(Post 9795876)
He said the plane was battered by extreme turbulence, and felt as if it was being 'trapped in air pockets between the clouds'.
How perspicacious of him to have identified the most likely cause of mid-air turbulence. Prins said that when the pilot eventually managed to regain control of the aircraft and make a shaky landing at Cape Town International... I think Prins will find that the crew had control of the aircraft throughout |
Yes Chesty I did overstate somewhat - I was soooo irritated by this drivel. Turbulence is certainly air pockets of different speed and pressure and they maintained sufficient control to get this over excited publicist on the ground to talk to a bored journalist. :*
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No such thing as an air pocket.
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Originally Posted by PAXboy
(Post 9795876)
A passenger aboard a kulula.com flight to Cape Town International Airport today was hurt when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence during the descent after the fasten-seatbelt instruction had been given.
Thank you. |
Turbulence is certainly air pockets of different speed and pressure Sounds like the sort of guff pax come up with. Wait! Oh! |
This is one of the worst bits of journalistic crap I've ever seen. But to be as crap as this does take some skill and effort. But she was helped by having a complete knob as a source. The good thing is as least we know where the idiots are so we can avoid them.
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Just seen thread. I was on the BA59 into CPT that morning.
It was a hell of a ride for the last 10/15 minutes. There were pax crying in the row behind me. I admired the flying by our crew but was relieved when the 744 was firmly planted on 01. The usual macho bravado from the Gods here. If this had been ones first commercial flight, it would have been very, very unsettling. |
the plane was nose up, with the tail pointed downwards. |
Thanks for the independent witness statement, TCU.
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TCU - I can fully understand that if you are new to flying then a rough, turbulent ride can be very scary. It's not pleasant for us either and we do our best to avoid exposing our passengers to these conditions. But if I was watching a surgeon operate, I wouldn't comment on the technical aspects of their procedure. If I was observing a welder, the same would apply. I'm not qualified. So why should an ignorant passenger's comments about what the flight crew, who he could not see, were doing be accepted without question? Furthermore, it appears that exceedingly dangerous behaviour by other passengers passed without comment. If we are to respect media articles, those who write them can at least respect their readers by doing some research and investigation work before publishing. I do not think this is too much to ask. Also bear in mind that unlike most people, our work can be physically experienced, unlike virtually any other job. And let's remember that this primarily a pilot's website.
We are not Skygods any more than the passengers we fly are stupid halfwits who expect to fly with excessive carry on baggage, who are only capable of littering aircraft within seconds of boarding and who only ever ask stupid questions and make ridiculous statements. |
Piltdown Man, I am in broad agreement...but is this not the "idiot" Passenger & SLF section, for "idiot" passengers like me to offer up our "idiot" flying experiences and ask "idiot" questions?
I would not dare to comment on Rumors & News, Tech etc, but Passengers & SLF, Aviation History, Spotters Corner are I think open to a wider audience. I may be wrong? FACT 07/06/17. RW 01 in use: FACT 071130Z 30033G46KT 9999 RA FEW020CB BKN030 14/06 Q1006 TEMPO 4000 SHRA= FACT 071125Z 30033G46KT 9999 RA BKN030 14/06 Q1006 TEMPO 2000= FACT 071100Z 30034G45KT 6000 VCSH SCT035TCU FEW060CB 14/07 Q1006 TEMPO 4000 SHRA= FACT 071000Z 31027G47KT 8000 SCT038TCU BKN045 FEW060CB 14/08 Q1006 NOSIG= FACT 070938Z 31032G44KT 6000 VCSH SCT038TCU BKN050 12/07 Q1006 BECMG 8000= FACT 070930Z 31030G42KT 4500 SHRA SCT038TCU BKN045 13/07 Q1005 TEMPO 4500 SHRA= FACT 070907Z 31024G34KT 8000 SCT030TCU BKN045 14/08 Q1005 TEMPO 4500 SHRA= FACT 070900Z 29023KT 7000 VCSH SCT035TCU BKN045 12/09 Q1005 RESHRA TEMPO 4500 SHRA= COR FACT 070800Z 30026G36KT 7000 VCSH FEW008 SCT030TCU BKN045 12/07 Q1004 TEMPO 4500 SHRA= FACT 070749Z 30026G36KT 9000 SCT035 BKN045 12/07 Q1004 TEMPO TS FEW065CB= FACT 070735Z 29028G38KT 4000 SHRA BKN030 SCT045TCU 11/07 Q1004 BECMG 7000= FACT 070708Z 32022G38KT 9999 BKN030 FEW065CB 13/08 Q1003 TEMPO 4500 SHRA= FACT 070705Z 31021KT 9999 TS BKN030 FEW065CB 13/08 Q1003 TEMPO 4500 SHRA= FACT 070700Z 31020KT 9999 BKN030 FEW065TCU 12/08 Q1003 TEMPO 4500 SHRA= ...as I wrote, a hell of a ride PAXboy "In South Africa, surviving every day is a bonus". Where did you get that from...your Daily Mail? |
TCU
PAXboy "In South Africa, surviving every day is a bonus". Where did you get that from...your Daily Mail? Further, I have:
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Not really
Read your line again with my hat on...a resident, with a young family, in this extraordinary country. Daily challenges? Yes...a bit like many places on the Planet....including Europe, but we cope quite nicely thank you. Every day in SA a (survival) bonus? Cheap Daily Mail chattering class line. Back to thread, as you are such an African expert PAXboy, any thoughts on the weather at FACT that day? Gusts up to 47Kts, 70 degrees off RW01, TCU's, low fast running CB's, TS etc? |
The weather was, clearly, extraordinary. My nephew who operates 738s into FACT almost every week was not there that day, so he could not give me further info. As is often the case in this forum, you have contributed extra information that clarified the situation. Earning you a compliment from the Moderator. My reaction was following the usual tabloid reporting that we see in here every month.
As to the other question? Yes, I have several friends with young children in CPT (not just now but across the last 25 years) so I am aware that they get along fine. Until the day when they do not. Which is similar to those who lived in the London Grenfell Tower. You can call it how you see it but I do know what South Africa is like. BTW, if you live there, you need to change your Location in this forum as it says you live in Berkshire. |
Originally Posted by PAXboy
(Post 9812694)
BTW, if you live there, you need to change your Location in this forum as it says you live in Berkshire.
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I agree TCU; horrible weather. That ride would have been dreadful. Losing your breakfast anytime is unpleasant. But that still doesn't justify you or any other reporters spouting pseudo-technical verbatim crap spouted by an uneducated and ill-informed passenger as fact. By all means report what they say, but when quoted make sure that the reader knows the provenance of the information, especially as it lacks professional context.
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