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Turbulence incidents, reports, discussion master thread

Old Dec 17, 2014, 6:00 pm
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Turbulence incidents, reports, discussion master thread

DEFINITION: Aircraft turbulence (American Meteorological Society)

Irregular motion of an aircraft in flight, especially when characterized by rapid up-and-down motion, caused by a rapid variation of atmospheric wind velocities.

This can occur in cloudy areas (particularly towering cumulus and lenticular clouds) and in clear air. Turbulence is the leading cause of nonfatal passenger and flight attendant injuries. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) classifies aircraft turbulence as follows:

Light: Causes slight, erratic changes in altitude and/or attitude, and rhythmic bumpiness as occupants feel a slight strain against seat belts.

Moderate: Similar to light, but of greater intensity, with rapid bumps or jolts, and occupants feel a slight strain against seat belts.

Severe: Turbulence that causes large, abrupt changes in altitude and attitude, and large variations in airspeed, with the aircraft temporarily out of control. Occupants are forced violently against their seat belts and objects are tossed about, with food service and walking impossible.

Extreme: The aircraft is tossed about so violently that it is practically impossible to control, and structural damage may occur.


Incident:.AA 280 ICN - DFW on December 16 2014 local time, operated by a Boeing 777-223ER and carrying 240 passengers and 15 crew, was subjected to a prolonged period of moderate turbulence and two minute-long sessions of severe turbulence near Japan. The aircraft diverted to NRT, where four passengers and one crew member were taken to hospital for evaluation and treatment; no serious injuries were reported.

The other passengers were bussed to a local hotel, and another aircraft took them to their DFW destination today. The aircraft was taken out of service for inspection for possible damage.

(Summary by JDiver from news sources and member calexandre, who was on board.)

Originally Posted by AA spokesperson Andrea Huguely
American Airlines Flight 280, a Boeing 777-200 from Seoul (ICN) to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) has diverted to Tokyo (NRT) because of turbulence during the flight. There are 240 passengers and a crew of 15.
FlyerTalk member calexandre was on board. B]Link[/B] to member calexandre's photos in cabin.

Link to in-cabin raw video footage on YouTube

Link to Dallas Morning News article

Link to CNBC article

Link to (UK Daily) Mail Online (gets it all wrong -"Boeing 747-200") but decent graphics, including map

Link to Tokyo TV 50 video and interviews with two passengers (Japanese language)

Link to weather.com video taken on flight and explanation of probable turbulence source

Link to to video off Boeing destructive 777 wing test (exceeded 153% of expected highest stresses expected)



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Turbulence incidents, reports, discussion master thread

Old Dec 16, 2014, 5:37 pm
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by JDiver
We're those elite-qualifying segments?
Live Japan TV carried the story here in NYC with no information beyond what was already posted. Unfortunately they did not have information to answer JDiver's question. All injuries appear to be minor.
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 5:46 pm
  #17  
 
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AA has listed an additional NRT-DFW for 12/17 at 5pm -- AA/9280.

AA/170 NRT-LAX has cancelled -- normally a 5:05pm departure -- with remarks on EF about it being a ferry (to where? DFW? ICN?). Maybe that crew being used for NRT-DFW?
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 6:41 pm
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Originally Posted by 1K-SFO
AA has listed an additional NRT-DFW for 12/17 at 5pm -- AA/9280.

AA/170 NRT-LAX has cancelled -- normally a 5:05pm departure -- with remarks on EF about it being a ferry (to where? DFW? ICN?). Maybe that crew being used for NRT-DFW?
We've just been told we are rescheduled for 5pm on a different aircraft so I guess they've appropriated that plane for our flight.
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 7:05 pm
  #19  
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Originally Posted by calexandre
I was on this one. Never experienced anything like that and hope not to again. Everything was completely smooth and then with no warning all the plates and glasses just went flying.

They've rescheduled us for 5pm departure. They better have a better flight path worked out this time.
:/

Hope you are ok. Is AA doing a decent job of taking care of you and your fellow pax?

ETA: If anybody here is a member of the Facebook group, Frequent Flyers Australia, somebody has shared several pics from one of the F pax of the aircraft after the turbulence struck.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/freq...yersaustralia/
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 7:26 pm
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Originally Posted by FriendlySkies
:/

Hope you are ok. Is AA doing a decent job of taking care of you and your fellow pax?

ETA: If anybody here is a member of the Facebook group, Frequent Flyers Australia, somebody has shared several pics from one of the F pax of the aircraft after the turbulence struck.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/freq...yersaustralia/
I can't see the page -- anyway you can post a few pics in here? Thx.
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 7:37 pm
  #21  
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Originally Posted by koreanair720
I can't see the page -- anyway you can post a few pics in here? Thx.
https://twitter.com/CBSDFW/status/54...952512/photo/1
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 7:40 pm
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Originally Posted by FriendlySkies
:/

Hope you are ok. Is AA doing a decent job of taking care of you and your fellow pax?

ETA: If anybody here is a member of the Facebook group, Frequent Flyers Australia, somebody has shared several pics from one of the F pax of the aircraft after the turbulence struck.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/freq...yersaustralia/
Thanks-- I'm okay. I got covered in red wine and glass: I ended up with about six wine glasses broken around me. And the turbulence itself was terrifying, even as a very seasoned frequent flyer... the sounds that plane was making, I hope I never hear again.

FA working my aisle was a champ. We had just gotten to appetizers when the turbulence struck, and although she was obviously rattled too, she was still thinking of the passengers when we left and was handing out the midflight snack dishes of chicken and noodles with silverware and napkins for us to take with us off the plane to make sure we ate something.

Otherwise I'd say credit goes less to AA than to the Tokyo staff who handled things on the ground. They bore the brunt of the logistical problems, and they were an absolute model of efficiency. Paramedics were on the plane ASAP, and then once those of us who weren't injured were off, there were dozens of staff members ready to give us our hotel vouchers, make sure we got our checked bags, and guide us directly to the bus to the hotel. It took maybe 10-15 minutes from getting off the plane to getting on the bus, and that includes the time I spent trying to get past by Japanese tv crews asking me questions about what the incident was like.
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 7:45 pm
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Originally Posted by calexandre
Thanks-- I'm okay. I got covered in red wine and glass: I ended up with about six wine glasses broken around me. And the turbulence itself was terrifying, even as a very seasoned frequent flyer... the sounds that plane was making, I hope I never hear again.

FA working my aisle was a champ. We had just gotten to appetizers when the turbulence struck, and although she was obviously rattled too, she was still thinking of the passengers when we left and was handing out the midflight snack dishes of chicken and noodles with silverware and napkins for us to take with us off the plane to make sure we ate something.
Thanks so much for your report. I have to admit that something like that would put an end to my "i love flying" days...

Were you in stormy weather, or was it CAT?
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 8:10 pm
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Originally Posted by koreanair720
Thanks so much for your report. I have to admit that something like that would put an end to my "i love flying" days...

Were you in stormy weather, or was it CAT?
We weren't told much directly, but The Weather Channel says it was a winter storm with very high winds: http://www.weather.com/news/news/ame...744df50b4aa010

I hope they have some plan for getting us around this today, because I'm pretty sure none of us wants to fly back through that situation.
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 8:45 pm
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by calexandre
I'm okay. I got covered in red wine and glass: I ended up with about six wine glasses broken around me. And the turbulence itself was terrifying, even as a very seasoned frequent flyer
Thank you for the first-hand report. This was truly severe turbulence. I've been through what CX operations called severe, but based on the Boeing simulator definition, I thought was only moderate. This confirms my impression that what I've been through was comparatively nothing...
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 8:53 pm
  #26  
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Originally Posted by calexandre
I was on this one. Never experienced anything like that and hope not to again. Everything was completely smooth and then with no warning all the plates and glasses just went flying.

They've rescheduled us for 5pm departure. They better have a better flight path worked out this time.
Glad you're safe!

Sounds like AA stepped up to the plate and had made arrangements by the time you landed and arrived at the gate.

These events can be unpredictable - really. Clear Air Turbulence, for example.

AA is also upgrading their instrumentation and installing a new, longer range weather radar. But it might not have seen this type of event. The Rockwell Collins' MultiScan ThreatTrack radar system is the first to detect not just severe turbulence and was introduced to the airlines marjpket. American Airlines was the first airline to buy and now has it on several dozen aircraft - amazing, given the recent debut of this technology.

Honeywell’s version is called IntuVue. They can "see" much farther than previous radar, to over 350 miles, and present a 3D "picture" of what's ahead and gaps between sea level and 60,000 ft MSL.

Last edited by JDiver; Dec 16, 2014 at 9:05 pm
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 8:56 pm
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Originally Posted by calexandre
We weren't told much directly, but The Weather Channel says it was a winter storm with very high winds: http://www.weather.com/news/news/ame...744df50b4aa010
That is the same huge storm causing a high tide flood in Nemuro, Hokkaido, Japan.
http://matome.naver.jp/odai/2141878017675413001

Here is a news video clip from Japan. Two pax are interviewed.
http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/mv/nms/news/post_80969

Last edited by O Sora; Dec 16, 2014 at 9:02 pm
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 9:09 pm
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Originally Posted by JDiver
Glad you're safe!

Sounds like AA stepped up to the plate and had made arrangements by the time you landed and arrived at the gate.

These events can be unpredictable - really. Clear Air Turbulence, for example.

AA is also upgrading their instrumentation and installing a new, longer range weather radar. But it might not have seen this type of event. The Rockwell Collins' MultiScan ThreatTrack radar system is the first to detect not just severe turbulence and was introduced to the airlines marjpket. American Airlines was the first airline to buy and now has it on several dozen aircraft - amazing, given the recent debut of this technology.

Honeywells version is called IntuVue. They can "see" much farther than previous radar, to over 350 miles, and present a 3D "picture" of what's ahead and gaps between sea level and 60,000 ft MSL.
Thanks-- I hope we have better luck today and don't get surprised by any further bumps!

Just got a phone call from AA to confirm I had all the info about the rescheduled flight, etc., so they do indeed seem to be doing all they can. Between that and the level of organization at NRT, hopefully we'll all make it to Dallas (and onward) today.
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 9:16 pm
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by koreanair720
I can't see the page -- anyway you can post a few pics in here? Thx.
Here are a few from my phone. Not the best thanks to both the ongoing jiggling of the plane and the crappy camera on the iPhone 4s. Maybe next time I'm in severe turbulence I'll have upgraded to the 6.

http://imgur.com/a/LzWRz
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Old Dec 16, 2014, 10:52 pm
  #30  
 
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