16 injured by turbulance - United Airlines. Diverts to SNN
 

BBC reporting 14 passengers and 2 crew now in hospital in Shannon after a United Airlines flight travelling from Houston to Heathrow hit turbulence leading to a decision to divert.


Shannon Airport emergency landing: 16 in hospital - BBC News

Looking at https://earth.nullschool.net/#curren...8.90,34.75,444 you will see the reason for the turbulence a very strong jet looks like the confluence of two 'jet-streaks' (see Entrance of Jet Streaks ) click on 'Earth' for the menu and go up and down in HpA levels to see how the jet varies with altitudes and at the 70HpA level the stratosphere is very quiet. Fly above the tropopause if you want a quiet flight.

Were they wearing their seat belts?

"severe and unexpected turbulence".

I assume therefore we are not talking about a Cb, but CAT?

If so, it is, of course over-forecast [or certainly used to be when I hung up the crystal ball and fir-cone with seaweed] but "unexpected" does surprise me.

Do not modern aircraft have on-board detection systems. If so, how good are they?

I ask in all sincerity, as I used to lecture on CAT to the Met Office College and also the RAF but am sadly out-of-date with developments.

As for seat belts, I know enough about CAT to always use mine except for brief trips to the lavatory.

currently no system on an aircraft can detect CAT. Can only be predicted, maybe by local TS activity or jet stream but there are no guarantees.

Ian W, what a fascinating map.

I agree Capn Bloggs, I have spent far too long looking at this image and playing around with it than I should have today!

There were a lot of people changing levels and avoiding Wx on the Eastbound tracks last night - there was a line of non-painting tops in which the turbulence was reportedly pretty bad.

Every time people are injured due to turbulence, the first question always seems to be about seatbelts, trying to blame the passengers for getting injured. Given the low numbers of injuries, I would surmise that most passengers were wearing their seatbelts. The injured crew would not have been unless they were forewarned. If this happened during a drinks or meal service, well, don't those carts have some sharp edges? Then there's the possibility that bags fell out of the overhead lockers and caused injuries, and more. I know the self-loading freight have a poor rap here, but not everything is their fault ... :bored:

According to a bbc report;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37228479

John Dunton-Downer from London, said it felt like they were going to crash; "We were told to get out of our seats and sit on the floor"

Eh?

Just read that too? The bit about sitting on the floor is rubbish?

Sitting on the toilet might have saved underwear staining!

Here's an improved version of the cool Earth map.

https://www.windyty.com

You are most welcome.

On descent into Calgary many years ago flight hit what I would call "severe" turbulence; I guess from rotor off the back side of the Rockies.
Cabin staff were still collecting trays and immediately went to ground, pushing trollies back to galley on their derrieres, sitting position; definitely not on hands and knees.
Looked to me that they had been trained to do so.
The gentleman reporting on this UA incident may have mis-heard a directive from the FD or purser to the flight attendants, or intended for standing passengers only, not as a general instruction.

Fantastic!

That would seem to make a lot more sense. Thanks for that.

Why would that help? Surely both you and the trolley would still end up plastered against the roof if there's a sudden drop?

Vancouv - It mitigates any injury. Common turbulence injuries are neck in negative g hitting the ceiling, and ankles and wrists in coming down. Sitting on the floor puts you away from the ceiling as far as possible and gives you something soft to land on when you do come down.
Agree with wingnut, that was definitely an instruction for the mobile pax and crew, not those already buckled in.

Well, as mentioned, it "looked" like they were following a trained procedure, but likewise, it could also have just been self-preservation.
I'd be interested to know if it is a commonly-trained procedure from someone who has been there.

I agree Bloggsy, fantastic!: