What's the worst turbolence you had on a flight? and how often does it happen?

Question

Once I felt like I was on a roller coaster, the wings were flapping wildly, we all had to remain seated even though people frightened were calling the flight attendents, they were unble to assist due to the risk of getting hurt, people vomiting, very loud noises from the aircraft. It lasted 45 minutes and were the most frightening of my life.

J Something, you made me curious now, what airline was it?

Answer 1

the stewardesses were thrown to onw side of the plain and had to hold on to the bottom of the seats so they wouldnt keep getting thrown around, the food was splattered all over the ceiling, seats were rattling, and my glasses (which were on the table) flew up and hit the ceiling too. It happened only once that badly.

Answer 2

Coming from DC to Chicago and hit a huge wind sheer. The plane dropped about 1000 feet in an instant and people completely were screaming. That's why you gotta keep your seatbelts on and put your kids in a car-seat!

It doesn't have anything to do with the particular airline, though. Sometimes you hit chop, sometimes you don't. Often the early morning flights are rougher, because you can't see turbulence up ahead (it's just colder and hotter air). As pilots travel through the chop, they let the ground crews know their position so other planes can be asked to fly a little higher or lower, to avoid it. But if you're the first plane out for the day, no one has been through that area yet and you get caught by surprise a bit.

Answer 3

Turbulence is usually worse at lower altitudes, so you're more likely to feel it on propeller aircraft that can't fly at high altitude, or on a jet airliner mainly during take off or descent.

My worst was on 14 seat prop flying from Buffalo to Albany. None of the other passengers (all businessmen) seemed at all perturbed even when their papers, pens etc were flying round the cabin. I was terrified. Even though I had my seatbelt on, at one point the plane dropped so steeply that I felt momentarily weightless before banging my head on the console above.

I cried when I got off!

Answer 4

I had your exact experience except it lasted for 3 1/2 hours and i swear I will never and have never flown that airline again and never had that problem again even though I make that same flight 2-3 times each year. I think I was the holiest person up there and prayed nonstop until we landed.

Answer 5

It is rare and the pilots try to avoid it as much as possible. I was on a flight once from El Paso to ABQ and we were getting tossed around pretty bad. The pilot came on to acknowledge the problem. He then said: "We are Going Down." By that he meant we were going to try a lower altitude, but that was not the first thought that went through my head.

Answer 6

at an air show in Belgium i asked a British c130 crew if i could go up on a flight when i picked them up at the plane. the pilot said "Sure mate if you take us to the beer tent." i dropped them off they drank for 2 hours then we went to the flight briefing and off to the plane. i had a head set but i stood up behind the pilot for the view. we flew 2 hour to Namure Belgium and dropped off parachuters then we climbed very high and dove at the ground until we were doing 450 knots then the pilot told me to hold on and he pulled up hard. my *** was on the floor until the g forces evened out. it was a bumpy ride but i loved every minute and would do again in a heartbeat.

Answer 7

A near vertical drop when the propeller aircraft I was traveling in hit an air pocket. Well, we survived it.

Answer 8

Probably the time we were flying to Florida, and the plane dropped about a 1,000 feet. But we're feeling much better now :-)

Answer 9

500 foot drop straight down in a 747 over about 2 seconds, but it sounds preferable to what you had.

Answer 10

my friend went through one she said the carts were rolling up and down the walkway since the airplane was going up down up down