Posted on 03/02/2023 7:46:08 AM PST by BenLurkin
The Airbus A330 reported severe turbulence at an altitude of 37,000 feet (about 11,300 meters) while flying over Tennessee, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The agency is investigating.
Passenger Susan Zimmerman, 34, of Austin, Texas, said one of the pilots told the cabin that the plane had fallen about 1,000 feet (about 305 meters) during the episode, which came on suddenly.
“It felt like the bottom just dropped out from underneath,” she said in a phone interview. “Everything was floating up. For a moment, you are weightless.”
The brief but severe turbulence occurred about 90 minutes after takeoff and led to the unscheduled landing as a precaution, Lufthansa said in a statement. After landing, the affected passengers received medical attention and Lufthansa ground staff were working to rebook passengers, the airline said.
Storms moved across areas of Tennessee on Wednesday night, creating strong winds in the upper atmosphere, said Scott Unger, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service in Nashville.
“It was very windy aloft, which could lead easily lead to the possibility of turbulence with any flight,” he said.
The turbulence occurred during the middle of meal service and passengers and crew were moving throughout the cabin, said Zimmerman, who is five months pregnant. She said she still had her seatbelt on and that neither she nor her baby were injured.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I bet there were multiple underwear changes after that.
Density of the atmosphere at 37,000 feet is less than one-quarter what it is a sea level.
I was just on a flight from San Juan to Charlotte earlier this week that was very bumpy for a while. The captain warned us at the start of the flight that we were to buckle our belts when seated. He didn’t say it as advice...it was an order. I’ve never heard a pilot give an order like that before.
Yah,and it’s colder too. The flight I was on a few days ago showed the outside temperature at -62 at one point.
I was thinking that there isn’t much air to be turbulent up there, but I guess that’s not the case.
I was flying an aircraft through that same area at the same altitude last night and it was pretty rough.
Weirdest thunder I ever heard, actually felt, last night. Very long continuous rumble I believe coming from the SW of my NC WV location.
I have. Flying from DFW to Norfolk pilot said stay seated whole flight. Flight attendant was in aisle when plane suddenly did a dive and she hit the rear bulkhead. She had no mobility so we did an emer landing. It was a tad scary more so for the attendant who had to be taken off by EMS. Then the ensuing takeoff. Extremely short field and barely made it out of there with a volunteer from another airline doing the required safety stuff.
I try not to fly through the south during times of competing air systems usually in the spring.
The jet stream is howling at that altitude. Winds of 130 knots are not unusual. As you enter the jetstream, the currents that surround it are rough.
And even worse you could end up back with the dinosaurs or back at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair.
Nearly an hour and nobody’s posted the Larson cartoon?
I was once flying to Anchorage with a couple co-workers, one of whom flew “fighter jets” in Vietnam. (He had just finished telling me about it.) It got REALLY bumpy and I’m thinking he will reassure me...then he says “This is really bad.”
That’s the point at which I’d probably need a change of underwear!
Same here - I thought it was jets from nearby pax river naval air station.
I’m in southern maryland
I had the same experience once flying into Anchorage. People were screaming and the stews stayed buckled in until we landed. I was aircrew on C-130s so it didn't bother me.
The jet stream is howling at that altitude. Winds of 130 knots are not unusual. As you enter the jetstream, the currents that surround it are rough.
“And even worse you could end up back with the dinosaurs or back at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair”
Reach over and grab the remote control to your TV. Change stations. You are watching too many classic movies.
I hit turbulence years ago on a flight back from Vegas. I was leaning back with my eyes closed when the plane dropped. I opened my eyes and my beer was floating in air right in front of me, I reached out, grabbed it, took a swig and closed my eyes again.
Yeah, but those classics are pretty much the only good ones nowadays.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.