Air Canada turbulence incident near Hawaii

[Rubberbiscuit]

Air Canada passengers injured during turbulence
Plane flying from Australia to Vancouver had to return to Honolulu


JANE ARMSTRONG

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

April 24, 2009 at 9:13 PM EDT

VANCOUVER — Oxygen masks dropped, passengers were hurled out of their seats, and drinks and luggage sailed around the cabin of an Air Canada jet when it hit severe turbulence on a flight from Sydney, Australia, to Vancouver.

At least 15 people were injured and as many as three people were wheeled off the jet on stretchers when the plane made an emergency landing in Honolulu to treat the injured.

“We bounced a lot,” said retired Vancouver cardiologist Ian Penn, who was seated in business class. “People were flying.”

Dr. Penn said a flight attendant told him later that it was the most severe turbulence she had experienced in 35 years.
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00:01:36

A bumpy ride

Several people suffered minor injuries when an Air Canada flight from Sydney, Australia to Vancouver hit an uncharted thunderstorm east of Hawaii early Friday morning

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The Globe and Mail

Despite the bumps and bruises, most passengers were in good spirits when the plane finally landed in Vancouver Friday morning.

The turbulence, they said, came out of nowhere, when most passengers were dozing. Without warning, the plane dropped thousands of metres. Anything and anybody not strapped down flew up.

Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said Flight 34, with 256 passengers and 17 crew, was just over an hour east of Honolulu when it encountered turbulence related to thunderstorms.

Passenger Tracy Scott, a Canadian who lives in Sydney, was returning from the bathroom when the plane dropped. Ms. Scott's head hit the ceiling, which had the effect of dropping the passengers' oxygen masks.

Ms. Scott said that a flight attendant who also banged her head was injured far worse. “A passenger sort of held her down and buckled her up,” Ms. Scott said.

Passengers said the turbulence lasted five or 10 minutes. Afterward, the pilot apologized for the bumpy patch. He said they had flown through a thunderstorm that wasn't on the radar, which was why no warning was issued.

Greg Ireland, a tourist from Melbourne, said the plane dropped suddenly and sharply. There were screams and some panic. Mr. Ireland said he flew through a hurricane a few years ago in the Bay of Bengal, but this turbulence was worse. “That sudden drop, that was bad.”

Camilla Gordon, a professor from Sydney, said she was watching a movie with her seatbelt unbuckled. “I sailed out of my seat but I didn't hit the roof,” Ms. Gordon told reporters at Vancouver Airport.

Dr. Penn, who made his way to the rear of the plane to help the injured, said the scene reminded him of a war zone. “There were oxygen masks everywhere. It really must have hit the tail of the plane badly.”

At least one woman appeared to have a bad head injury, and Dr. Penn said he was relieved Air Canada decided to reroute the plane to Honolulu so the injured could be treated. In Honolulu, Dr. Penn said three people were taken away on stretchers.

While Air Canada said 15 passengers were injured, a spokesman for the western Pacific region of the Federal Aviation Administration said 22 people suffered injuries. Ian Gregor said they included 19 passengers and three crew members.

Mr. Fitzpatrick said the Boeing 777-200 LR landed around 1 a.m. local time (7 a.m. ET). He said nine passengers and two flight attendants suffered minor injuries, were treated at the scene and were allowed to continue on their journey.

Mr. Fitzpatrick gave the number of people taken off the plane as four, two passengers and two flight attendants. They were taken to a local hospital and have since been released. He said the two passengers were to fly to Vancouver last night.

[Dagwood]

He said they had flown through a thunderstorm that wasn't on the radar, which was why no warning was issued.

How can a thunderstorm not appear on radar? or was this just a crew excuse for CAT?

[yfly]

He said they had flown through a thunderstorm that wasn't on the radar, which was why no warning was issued.

How can a thunderstorm not appear on radar? or was this just a crew excuse for CAT?

The best avoidance of thunderstorms is visual. Where they imbedded or in darkness, radar is the primary source.

There are storms that are quite small across that are dry. They often extend up to the trop and turbulence can be short lived but severe.

Alternately, ice crystals are not detected by radar so hail and ice crystals in the anvil will go undetected but you may still be in for a rough ride.

[yycflyguy]

He said they had flown through a thunderstorm that wasn't on the radar, which was why no warning was issued.

How can a thunderstorm not appear on radar? or was this just a crew excuse for CAT?

Generally, the "on" function of the radar will solve this problem.

[C-FABH]

Most of this sounds like sensationalism

[tonysoprano]

There are storms that are quite small across that are dry. They often extend up to the trop and turbulence can be short lived but severe.

Those who do S.America will know there is an area where the dry cells are often encountered but not picked up very well on radar. Some guys swear there's something wrong with the radar. Not the case.

[raven54]

Radar units are not perfect, I've flown into a cell that the radar did not detect.

[BGH]

Don't you have to turn it on for it to work.

[raven54]

It was on.....Damn things work fine all winter

[Flying Low]

Most of this sounds like sensationalism

Such as this? I'd be curious to know how much of a drop it actually was.

The turbulence, they said, came out of nowhere, when most passengers were dozing. Without warning, the plane dropped thousands of metres. Anything and anybody not strapped down flew up.

[Jastapilot]

"Thousands of meters"?

[C-FABH]

Doesn't sound like much of an incident if maintenance is able to completely sign off a "severe turbulence check" with barely a 4 hour delay... wasn't it also midnight in Hawaii ??

[swordfish]

It was on.....Damn things work fine all winter

Now that's priceless, raven54!

[Topspin]

Most of this sounds like sensationalism

Pax were reporting weightlessness, apparently somebody's head hit the ceiling. Double digit injuries reported.

Not from the news, I was there when the report came in. For whatever that's worth, WCB type scammers looking for a lawsuit?

Like the New York bus that crashed with 11 pax, and by the time the cops got there, 22 on board claiming whiplash.