3 Things To Remember Before Flying After Singapore Airline’s Air Turbulence Incident
Singapore Airline’s recent experience with air turbulence has worried some people about flying but here are three things to remember to keep yourself as safe as possible.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.
Recently, passengers on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from London to Singapore experienced a serious case of air turbulence, resulting in one death and 30 people injured. The flight was forced to land in Bangkok, Thailand.
The flight had 211 passengers, 16 were Malaysians.
READ MORE: [Updated] #SQ321: 1 Dead, 30 Injured As Singapore Airlines Flight Encounters Severe Turbulence
READ MORE: British Retiree Who Died On Board SQ321 Was Headed For Vacation With Wife
What to do when there’s air turbulence when you fly?
It’s normal to experience a minor air turbulence while flying and it’s not always predictable when it comes around. The recent case reminds everyone to heed the safety instructions from flight attendants at the beginning of the flight.
Someone who had worked in the aviation industry for 13 years, Syapik Hassan, gave three tips on how flight passengers can remain safe in case there’s air turbulence.
1. Always have your seatbelts on
There is no way to escape air turbulence and you don’t know when it’ll happen. To be safe, it’s always better to have your seatbelt on at all times, even when it’s meal time. Of course, you can remove the seat belt when you need to go to the toilet or to pray. If you feel uncomfortable being strapped in, you can loosen the seatbelt a little.
2. Use the toilet before boarding the flight
For people flying long haul, they should use the toilet before boarding the flight. This will lessen the chance of your need to use the lavatory in the plane.
Families with young children are advised to book seats near the lavatory area so they don’t have to walk far from their seats to the toilet.
3. Follow safety instructions from flight attendants
Most importantly, Syapik emphasised that passengers must listen to safety instructions given by flight attendants. This is also because the flight attendants are rigorously trained and have more experience in plane safety than passengers.
If passengers are instructed to remain in their seats, passengers should heed the warning because the plane might go through air turbulence. This is also why flight attendants refuse to serve hot drinks to prevent hot liquids from scalding passengers during air turbulence.
How does air turbulence happen?
According to CNA, air turbulence happens when the plane is caught in a sudden change of air currents due to changes in wind speed and direction.
Air turbulence can be created by atmospheric pressure, thunderstorms, mountain ranges, or strong air currents called jet streams.
During air turbulence, the plane will shake or jolt. Passengers will feel like they’re riding on a rollercoaster.
Why did the Singapore Airlines flight not detect air turbulence?
There are two types of air turbulence: turbulence that contains water particles or air particles (known as clear-air turbulence).
Plane radar can detect air turbulence if it contains water particles. However, the radar cannot detect clear-air turbulence which can take place as high as 30,000 feet in the air. Currently, there is no technology to detect the phenomenon.
Experts say the Singapore Airlines flight was hit by sudden extreme turbulence, an intensity planes rarely encounter.
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Threads.
