Singapore flight turbulence

[fixitflav]

I'm surprised passengers lifted off their seats (though it clearly happened). Wouldn't they be subject to g, same as the plane? An object on the floor of a free-falling lift doesn't rise off the floor.
Only explanation I can think of is that there was a downdraught causing the plane to fall at greater than g. Any comments?

 

[noseall]

I'm surprised passengers lifted off their seats

That's precisely what happens during severe turbulence and is why the seatbelts are designed that way.
There have been many injuries due to passengers colliding with the overhead lockers.

 

[fixitflav]

That's precisely what happens during severe turbulence and is why the seatbelts are designed that way.
There have been many injuries due to passengers colliding with the overhead lockers.

I realise that's what happened. Just trying to understand why.

 

[noseall]

I realise that's what happened. Just trying to understand why.

Because the aircraft drops like a stone during severe turbulence.

 

[festive]

I would hazard a guess more of a tail kick occurred could be wrong, the plane hitting turbulent air causing an oscillation affected more towards the rear of the plane, a sudden hump off air kicking the rear up and sharply down causing untethered passengers to accelerate towards lockers.

 

[fixitflav]

Because the aircraft drops like a stone during severe turbulence.

So does a lift if you cut the cable. But objects don't rise off the floor. If they were on a scale the reading would drop to zero, but that's it.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Because the aircraft drops like a stone during severe turbulence.

It would have to fall faster than a stone, for the passengers to effectively fall slower, and hit the ceiling.

 

[denso13]

"The greatest increase was for the most severe class of turbulence, defined as having a g-force greater than 1 g. At this g-force, anything that isn’t bolted to the plane, including your stomach, will float momentarily because the turbulence causes the plane to accelerate downward faster than gravity does. If you’re not buckled up, you will lift out of your seat as the plane rapidly drops a few tens of meters."

Yes, Airline Flights Are Getting Bumpier: Here's Why

Clear-air turbulence is becoming more frequent and more intense as the atmosphere warms

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[denso13]

So does a lift if you cut the cable.

The plane isn't just falling, it can be pushed down a faster rate than that in certain circumstances.

 

[Brigadier]

The plane also goes up - rapidly - so when it does fall, those not wearing lapbelts can be launched towards the ceiling.

Think about throwing something; when your hand stops its forward motion, the object carries on: it doesn't remain in your hand.

 

[fillyboy]

When I first heard about it many years ago it was something the boffins couldn't really understand or explain. The effect was like flying into a vacuum, there was no air and therefore no air pressure, all laws of physics and gravity go out the window.

 

[Brigadier]

When I first heard about it many years ago it was something the boffins couldn't really understand or explain. The effect was like flying into a vacuum, there was no air and therefore no air pressure, all laws of physics and gravity go out the window.

What is the "it"?

Turbulence?

 

[fillyboy]

What is the "it"?

Turbulence?

As mentioned earlier on the thread it happened to a friend many years ago returning from singapore. People pinned to the ceiling and several passngers and crew with broken arms. He was told at the time there were several incidents every year on that route.

 

[noseall]

. But objects don't rise off the floor.

They most certainly do, if the vehicle drops like a stone, yes.

 

[noseall]

It would have to fall faster than a stone, for the passengers to effectively fall slower, and hit the ceiling.

Just a term, is all.