What: Pinnacle/Northwest Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Detroit I to Huntsville
Where: Memphis International Airport
When: Jun 11th 2009
Who: 36 passengers and 3 crew
Why: The plane flew into an area of severe turbulence and diverted to Memphis. Weather may have been an issue.
Contact photographer SkyMember
Pictured: flight 8095
Contact photographer Jerome Mervelet
Pictured: TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A330-200 registration PT-MVN
What: TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A330-200 en route from Miami,FL (USA) to Sao Paulo
Where: Sao Paulo
When: May 25 2009
Who: 154 passengers
Why: On approach to Sao Paulo, the flight experienced turbulence. Fasten seat belt signs were illuminated about 20 minutes before landing–Some passengers struck the ceiling.
Thirteen were treated at the airport; eight were taken to the hospital. No mention is made of any injuries to crew members
What: US Airways/Mesa Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-200 en route from Phoenix AZ to Flagstaff AZ
Where: Flagstaff
When: May 20th 2009
Who: two passengers and one crew member
Why: The plane encountered turbulence on approach to Flagstaff during which two passengers seatbelts failed, and they collided with an attendant. After landing, all three were hospitalized.
George’s Point of View
I don’t know what good it is for me to constantly be harping to passengers on the merits of keeping the seatbelt fastened and obeying the signs when the seatbelts don’t work!
What: Air Canada Embraer ERJ-190 en route from Calgary to Los Angeles,CA
Where: Los Angeles
When: May 18th 2009
Who: 58 passengers and 5 crew, 4 minor injuries
Why: The flight experienced a few minutes of moderate in-flight turbulence but landed as scheduled. Several passengers were treated at the airport.
What: Air Do (AKA Hokkaido International Airlines) flight en route from Tokyo to Sapporo
Where: Sapporo
When: 4:40 p.m. Wednesday
Who: 182 passengers aboard. Three passengers and a cabin attendant injured.
Why: The airplane encountered turbulence en route over Ibaraki Prefecture, resulting in minor injuries. One woman was taken to the hospital.
George’s Point of View
All of a sudden there is more on turbulence.
Need to stay buckled up. It’s a pain on a long flight, but, more safe.
Contact photographer Mark Kwiatkowski
What: Lufthansa A321-100, registration en route from Munich Germany to Lisbon Portugal
Where: Diverted to Geneva Switzerland
When: May 9th 2009
Who: 147 passengers
Why: En route, the airbus was hit by clear air turbulence. Twelve passengers were injured, and 2 crew members. 5 were taken to the hospital.
George’s Point of View
Turbulence does not necessarily result in a plane being taken out of commission. The passengers were delayed for five hours while replacement transportation was procured. There is no indication why.
This makes me question why the passengers had to switch planes.
- Was this just a precaution?
- Was the turbulence so bad that it damaged the plane?
- Did they get jostled around much the galley contents (or during mealtime) that it made a 5+ hour mess?
- Did something on the plane go on the fritz before during or after?
Inquiring minds want to know…
Update: Meal service was in progress at the time of the turbulence.
What: Air Canada Boeing 777-200 LR en route from Australia to Vancouver
Where: emergency landing in Honolulu
When: Friday 7:10 a.m.
Who: 256 passengers and 17 crew members
Why: When the flight encountered turbulence SW of Honolulu, twenty-two people suffered minor injuries following severe air turbulence. Two passengers were treated at the hospital and released; two crew members were hospitalized; the rest were treated on site. The flight left later, scheduled to arrive in Vancouver at 2:44 p.m.
The turbulence was related to a thunderstorm.
George’s Point of View
It’s not brain surgery. When the seatbelt sign says “Fasten,” please “Fasten.”
Contact photographer Alex G.-Denicourt
What: Continental Airlines Boeing 737-700 en route from Houston,TX to McAllen,TX
Where: McAllen, TX
When: Apr 18th 2009
Who: 104 passengers and 5 crew
Why: First, severe thunderstorms delayed takeoff. Then, en route, fasten seat belt signs were on. The plane experienced turbulence while a woman was in the bathroom; she hit the ceiling and sustained serious back injuries. A flight attendant and another passenger also were injured. On landing, the seriously injured women was ported to the hospital and underwent (2?) neck surgery/ies. It is not known if the severely injured passenger will be permanently paraplegic.
George’s Point of View
Do not think the seatbelt sign does not apply to you. You’re not someone exempt from turbulence. The seatbelt sign applies to everyone.
Contact photographer Agustin Anaya
What: Royal Air Maroc Boeing 767-30 en route from Casablanca (Morocco) to New York John F. Kennedy Airport
Where: JFK
When: Apr 20th 2009
Why: Wake turbulence was such that the landing was hard. Complaints about the hard landing prompted plane inspection which turned up wrinkles found in the fuselage. The plane was grounded for repairs and further inspection.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Ryan Coulter
What: Horizon Air flight 2246 de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from LA to Reno
Where: Sacramento
When: 7:10 p.m. April 7
Who: 5 passengers (out of 40) plus one flight attendant.
Why: When several passengers reported injuries resulting from turbulence experienced over Yosemite. Turbulence was so severe that Individuals not buckled in literally bumped into plane’s ceiling. The plane diverted to make an emergency landing at Sacramento International Airport so that the six affected individuals could be examined.
George’s Point of View
Wear Your Seatbelt.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Walter Pietsch
George’s Point of View
There is wisdom in keeping your seats belts fastened even when the seat belt sign is off —
What: Air France passenger plane Boeing 777-200 flight 276 en route from Paris to Narita airport
Where: Narita airport
Who: 261 passengers and 16 crewmembers. Passsengers had no injuries, but 2 crew members suffered hip and thoracic fractures.
Why: The plane was hit by turbulence while circling above waters off Chiba Prefecture while waiting to land at Narita airport. The plane landed safely and was sent back to France after examination.
Click here for full size photo on Airliners.net
Contact photographer Jan Jorgensen
What: SAS Norge Boeing 737-800 en route from Oslo Gardermoen to Tromsø Norway
Where: Tromsø Norway
When: Feb 5th 2009
Who: Number of passengers not released
Why: While descending for landing approach, the flight encountered “clear air turbulence.” Apparently the seat belt lights were already on, and the only one injured was a flight attendant who was knocked off her feet and broke her ankle.
Subsequent to the event, it was determined that although the flight crew had no inkling of it, that turbulence had been forecast by Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET).
George’s Point of View
The incident may call for some kind of update of the on board warning system(s).
The NTSB has concluded that wake turbulence was the problem that downed the jet. Air traffic controllers told the Learjet pilots to slow down significantly so as to not gain ground on the 767, but they flew into wake 4 miles behind the jet. This action has been interpreted as pilot error. Additionally, the contract pilots may not have been qualified on the jet as deficiencies in their certifications were uncovered.
The Learjet departed San Luis Potosà (SLP) at 18:04 on a flight to Mexico City (MEX). On board were a.o. Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, Deputy Attorney General Josi Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and Miguel Monterubio Cubas, the director of social communication.
The flight was uneventful and the Learjet passed LUCIA VOR at 18:40 and ATIZAPAN VOR at 18:42. It passed SAN MATEO VOR at 18:44, at an altitude of 11000 feet and an airspeed of 262 kts. It was trailing a Boeing 767-300 (Mexicana Flight 1692 from Buenos Aires). At 18:45 hours the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency which the pilot acknowledged but never contacter Mexico Tower. At 18:46 the flight was observed approaching runway 05L. The last radar position of the aircraft was 7.5 miles from the Mexico VOR on the 256 radial, at an altitude of 9700 feet at 185 kts airspeed.
The airplane crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.
What: Learjet 45 flown by the Mexican government en route from San Luis Potosà Airport (SLP/MMSP) to Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport
Where: Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City
When: 04 NOV 2008
Who: Passengers included:
Why: At 18:45, although the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency, the pilot acknowledged but never contacted the Mexico Tower. The Learjet then crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.
Voice Data Recorder Excerpts
Pilot: That one’s got some turbulence.
Co-pilot: Hey man.
Pilot: Hey [expletive].
Pilot: Alvaro, what do we do, Alvaro?
Co-pilot: Hand it over to me, hand it over to me, hand it over to me.
Pilot: It’s yours Alvaro.
Pilot: [expletive]
Pilot: No, Alvaro.
Co-pilot: Diosito.
The Learjet departed San Luis Potosà (SLP) at 18:04 on a flight to Mexico City (MEX). On board were a.o. Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, Deputy Attorney General Josi Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and Miguel Monterubio Cubas, the director of social communication.
The flight was uneventful and the Learjet passed LUCIA VOR at 18:40 and ATIZAPAN VOR at 18:42. It passed SAN MATEO VOR at 18:44, at an altitude of 11000 feet and an airspeed of 262 kts. It was trailing a Boeing 767-300 (Mexicana Flight 1692 from Buenos Aires). At 18:45 hours the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency which the pilot acknowledged but never contacter Mexico Tower. At 18:46 the flight was observed approaching runway 05L. The last radar position of the aircraft was 7.5 miles from the Mexico VOR on the 256 radial, at an altitude of 9700 feet at 185 kts airspeed.
The airplane crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.
What: Learjet 45 flown by the Mexican government en route from San Luis Potosà Airport (SLP/MMSP) to Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport
Where: Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City
When: 04 NOV 2008
Who: Passengers included:
Why: At 18:45, although the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency, the pilot acknowledged but never contacted the Mexico Tower. The Learjet then crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.
Voice Data Recorder Excerpts
Pilot: That one’s got some turbulence.
Co-pilot: Hey man.
Pilot: Hey [expletive].
Pilot: Alvaro, what do we do, Alvaro?
Co-pilot: Hand it over to me, hand it over to me, hand it over to me.
Pilot: It’s yours Alvaro.
Pilot: [expletive]
Pilot: No, Alvaro.
Co-pilot: Diosito.
