canadiancow

I think I recall reading that severe turbulence involves structural damage to the aircraft.

Moderate does not.

Something like that.

Sean Peever

seems to me like they have found a way to regulate using words that are not totally correct just so that it sounds better.

canadiancow

Well what words would you use for:
1. Breaks the aircraft apart
2. Causes structural damage that requires immediate landing and heavy maintenance
3. Causes damage that requires some maintenance
4. Causes no damage, but seriously injures passengers/crew
5. Causes no damage, and caused moderate injuries to passengers/crew
6. Causes no damage, and causes minor injuries to passengers/crew
7. Causes no damage or injuries

You basically want 5/7 to be "severe", but then what do you call 1 through 4?

Sean Peever

maybe it should be a number system like 1-7

SparseFlyer

>Turbulence Starts
>FA drops glass
>Cuts herself deeply
>Fatality

Speedy recovery.

gcashin

AC 122 traveling YYC-YYZ on an A320 today was diverted to YWG due to mechanical. The Captain advised pax that they were getting a warning that one of the landing gear doors had not fully closed(?). They are flying in a replacement aircraft which is scheduled to continue the flight to YYZ with an approx 4 hour delay.

Don, the YWG concierge was very helpful in meeting SE passengers and managed to get SE pax onto an earlier YWG-YYZ.

canadiancow

Don and the other three concierges are pretty awesome

kingtheseus

Originally scheduled for 11:10AM, we've been delayed multiple times due to "mechanical issues". Lounge agents let it slip that a ground vehicle hit the aircraft (A321, fin 460, C-GJWO). Can't see any damage from the lounge windows.

Another 45 minutes and I'm guaranteed to misconnect to YHZ: a hotel room is much preferred to a 2AM arrival.

1Newflyer

Why would they not classify according to a structural damage to a person?

canadiancow

So you're walking down the aisle, there's very very minor turbulence, but you lose your balance, fall, hit your head, and die.

Do we now classify this as super-crazy-severe turbulence?

An event needs to have a classification that doesn't change based on whether or not people are in their seats with their seat belts fastened.

1Newflyer

Classification should rather be based on the event itself and not the damage that it causes. An event needs to have a classification that doesn't change based on whether or not planes are made out of paper, plastic, rubber, or metal and the age of the plane.

Classification of hurricanes is an excellent example of that.
My previous post was intended to be

Sean Peever

AC195 (YUL - YVR) is diverting to YYC for an onboard medical emergency.

jasdou

Just heard on the radio that a Dash-8 flying ex-YQB had to turn back because of an engine failure earlier this morning. Pilot successfully landed the plane on one engine in YQB. 36 passengers on board, no injuries, all will be rebooked on later flight.

Sean Peever

AC7331 returning to Toronto with a suspected blow tire

winnipegrev

No, pilots/AC don't just pull these terms out of a hat. They are defined by Transport Canada.

Light Turbulence:
"Turbulence that momentarily causes slight, erratic changes in altitude or attitude (this could be reported as “light turbulence”), or turbulence that causes slight, rapid and somewhat rhythmic bumpiness without appreciable changes in altitude or attitude (this could be reported as “light chop”)."

Moderate Turbulence:
"Turbulence that causes changes in altitude or attitude, but in which the aircraft remains in control at all times, and that usually causes variations in indicated airspeed (IAS) (this could be reported as “moderate turbulence”), or turbulence that causes rapid bumps or jolts without appreciable changes in aircraft altitude or attitude (this could be reported as “moderate chop”)."

Severe Turbulence:
"Turbulence that causes large, abrupt changes in altitude or attitude. It usually causes large variations in indicated airspeed (IAS). Aircraft may be momentarily out of control."