Latest news with #turbulence
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘We survived': Passenger relives diverted American Airlines flight from Northwest Arkansas National Airport
HIGHFILL, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — American Airlines Flight 3390 had to divert from Northwest Arkansas National Airport after a turbulent landing Sunday evening. The flight from Dallas-Fort Worth was scheduled to land at XNA at 6 p.m., according to flight data, but 'at the last instant,' the pilot pulled back up and took the passengers to Tulsa to refuel, passenger Larry Foley said. Radar and weather data from the National Weather Service shows rain was near XNA around the time of the flight's landing and wind gusts were upwards of 43 mph. 'The plane is rocking back and forth, and I'm thinking instantaneously, 'We're going to crash,'' Foley said. 'It was like we were a rocket ship, and he took off into the clouds and got us up there above the clouds really quickly.' Arkansas fire-related deaths surpass 2024 total Foley, a Fayetteville resident, University of Arkansas professor and documentary filmmaker, was in the final leg of his flights back from Italy, after showing screenings of his film, 'Cries from the Cotton Field.' Foley said the majority of the flight was smooth except for the descent. When the pilot diverted from the landing, Foley said the moment happened so fast, he barely had the chance to process it. 'I think people were just holding their breath,' Foley said. The second landing attempt at XNA was much smoother, Foley said, thanking the flight attendant as he deplaned. He wanted to thank the pilot and tell them they 'saved an entire plane,' but their door was closed. Foley said he wants to track down the pilot to thank them personally. Once he regrouped with his wife, Susan, who waited inside the terminal the entire three-hour duration of the diversion, he hugged her a little tighter. Foley said, despite the frantic few hours during the diversion, he and the other passengers temporarily bonded with one another. He said near him was a family was bringing their daughter to the University of Arkansas for orientation, a woman returning from vacation and a man coming back from a work trip. 'We were all kindred spirits,' Foley said. 'We survived something.' American Airlines told KNWA/FOX24 the following statement: 'On June 29, American Eagle flight 3390, operated by Envoy Air, with service from Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) to Northwest Arkansas (XNA) diverted to Tulsa (TUL) due to weather conditions at XNA. The flight departed TUL approximately 90 minutes later and landed safely at XNA. Safety is our top priority and we thank our customers for their understanding and our crew for their professionalism.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Five people aboard American Airlines flight rushed to hospital after traumatic incident
Five shaken American Airlines passengers and flight attendants were taken to the hospital after being injured by extreme turbulence on the way to North Carolina. Panic spread through Flight 1286, traveling from Miami to Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Sunday night, when the 'unexpected' disturbance hit. Sudden altitude drops sent laptops, cellphones and other personal items flying through the aircraft - forcefully striking those aboard. Passengers alleged they saw a man knocked unconscious, a flight attendant scorched by spilled boiling water from a drink cart and another who sustained a broken arm. 'I would say it was absolutely horrific. People thought that they were going to lose their lives,' one anonymous passenger told WRAL. The airline said in a statement to that the plane landed safely around 10:50pm despite the terrifying event. Three flight staffers and two customers were taken to the hospital after landing. None of these injuries were life threatening and all victims have since been discharged. Four other people were evaluated by EMS workers onsite, but refused care, CBS reported. While American Airlines said the situation was handled with grace, passengers have claimed otherwise. 'It took way too long for the captain to address what happened,' the anonymous passenger told WRAL. 'There were injured people aboard the aircraft. He should have stopped at the closest airport instead of flying another hour and 10 minutes when two people were in need of immediate medical attention.' The airline said the seat belt sign was on, but those on board told WRAL that was not the case. 'They wouldn't have been serving drinks if they knew turbulence was coming,' she explained. 'They were carrying hot water. I mean, there was ice flying everywhere, soda cans, cups. People that were by the carts, they just had things flying in every direction.' Another flyer, Cameron Autry, told WRAL he was in the 'absolutely worst place in the entire plane' when the turbulence struck - the bathroom. Passenger Lee Francis also recalled his experience amid the chaos that unfolded that night. 'Everybody's hollering, I've got my wife's hand, she's got my kids, you know, like, we're doing the whole thing,' he told CBS. He also praised the flight attendants for trying to keep customers calm - despite sustaining injuries of their own. 'One of the flight attendants, she basically said, "I've been doing this for 10 years, that's never happened,"' he said. The Federal Aviation is investigating the terrifying incident.
CBS News
24-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
5 taken to North Carolina hospital after American Airlines flight hits turbulence
Five people were taken to a hospital Sunday night from Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina, where their American Airlines flight from Miami had landed safely after experiencing turbulence, officials said. American Airlines said in a statement that the plane's seatbelt sign was turned on when it encountered the rough patch, which the airline called "unexpected." "American Airlines flight 1286 with service from Miami (MIA) to Raleigh-Durham (RDU) landed safely at RDU after encountering unexpected turbulence while in flight. We thank our crew members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding," the statement said. Three flight attendants and two passengers were taken to a local hospital after landing and have since been discharged, according to American Airlines. In a separate statement, officials at Raleigh-Durham International Airport said emergency services personnel transported all five people from the airport to WakeMed Hospital to be evaluated. A spokesperson for Wake County EMS — among several emergency crews called to the scene — said none of the injuries were considered life-threatening. Another four people were evaluated at the site by EMS workers but refused care, the spokesperson said. The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed it will investigate the incident. "American Airlines Flight 1286 landed safely at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina around 10:50 p.m. local time on Sunday, June 22, after the crew reported possible injuries to a cabin crew and passengers due to turbulence," the agency said in a statement Monday. Lee Francis, a passenger on the flight, told CBS News affiliate WNCN that he and his family were returning home to North Carolina after taking a vacation. He recalled commotion on board amid the turbulence. "Everybody's hollering, I've got my wife's hand, she's got my kids, you know, like, we're doing the whole thing," said Francis, who also commended flight attendants for their handling of the situation. "It was wild because while they were there, I mean they're injured, those carts are super heavy, they're injured and yet they were so awesome, because they're literally telling people like, stay in your seat, don't help us, we don't know what's going on, keep your seatbelt on."
The Independent
24-06-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Why climate change is making severe turbulence on flights more likely
Unexpected severe turbulence injured crew and passengers on a Qantas Boeing 737 during descent at Brisbane on May 4, 2024. The subsequent Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation suggested the severity of the turbulence caught the captain by surprise. This is not an isolated event. Thunderstorms featuring severe wind gusts, such as violent updrafts and downbursts, are hazardous to aircraft. Downbursts, in particular, have been known to cause many serious accidents. Our new research suggests global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of wind gusts from thunderstorm 'downbursts', with serious consequences for air travel. We used machine learning techniques to identify the climate drivers causing more thunderstorm downbursts. Increased heat and moisture over eastern Australia turned out to be the key ingredients. The findings suggest air safety authorities and airlines in eastern Australia must be more vigilant during takeoff and landing in a warming world. Warm, moist air spells trouble for planes Global warming increases the amount of water vapour in the lower atmosphere. That's because 1°C of warming allows the atmosphere to hold 7 per cent more water vapour. The extra moisture typically comes from adjacent warmer seas. It evaporates from the surface of the ocean and feeds clouds. Increased heat and water vapour fuel stronger thunderstorms. So, climate change is expected to increase thunderstorm activity over eastern Australia. For aircraft, the main problem with thunderstorms is the risk of hazardous, rapid changes in wind strength and direction at low levels. Small yet powerful Small downbursts, several kilometres wide, are especially dangerous. These 'microbursts' can cause abrupt changes in wind gust speed and direction, creating turbulence that suddenly moves the plane in all directions, both horizontally and vertically. Microburst wind gusts can be extremely strong. Brisbane Airport recorded a microburst wind gust at 157km per hour in November 2016. Three planes on the tarmac were extensively damaged. On descent or ascent, aircraft encountering microbursts can experience sudden, unexpected losses or gains in altitude. This has caused numerous aircraft accidents in the past. Microbursts will become increasingly problematic in a warming climate. Microburst analysis and prediction Microbursts are very difficult to predict because they are so small. So we used machine learning to identify the environmental factors most conducive to the formation of microbursts and associated severe wind gusts. We accessed observational data from the Bureau of Meteorology 's extensive archives. Then we applied eight different machine learning techniques to find the one that worked best. Machine learning is a field of study in artificial intelligence that uses algorithms and statistical models to enable computers to learn from data without explicit programming. It enables systems to identify patterns, make predictions and improve performance over time as they take in more information. We found that atmospheric conditions in eastern Australia are increasingly favouring the development of stronger, more frequent thunderstorm microbursts. We investigated a microburst outbreak from a storm front in 2018. It produced severe surface wind gusts at six regional airports in New South Wales: Bourke, Walgett, Coonamble, Moree, Narrabri and Gunnedah. Regional airports in Australia and around the world often use small aircraft. Small planes with 4–50 passenger seats are more vulnerable to the strong, even extreme, wind gusts spawned by thunderstorm microbursts. Widespread consequences Our extensive regional case study identified the weather patterns that create severe thunderstorms in eastern Australia during the warmer months. High cloud water content creates a downward force in the cloud. This force induces a descending air current. When the heavier air reaches the ground, wind gusts spray out in multiple directions. These wind gusts endanger aircraft during takeoff and landing, because rapid wind shifts from tail winds to head winds can cause the aircraft to dangerously gain or lose altitude. Our analysis highlights the elevated aviation risks of increased atmospheric turbulence from thunderstorm microbursts across eastern Australia. Smaller aircraft at inland regional airports in southeastern Australia are especially vulnerable. But these sudden microburst-generated wind gusts will require monitoring by major east coast airports, such as Sydney and Brisbane. Beware of heightened microburst activity Flying has long been recognised as a very safe mode of travel, with an accident rate of just 1.13 per million flights. However, passenger numbers worldwide have increased dramatically, implying even a small risk increase could affect a large number of travellers. Previous research into climate-related risks to air travel has tended to focus on high-altitude cruising dangers, such as clear air turbulence and jet stream instability. In contrast, there has been less emphasis on dangers during low-level ascent and descent. Our research is among the first to detail the heightened climate risk to airlines from thunderstorm microbursts, especially during takeoff and landing. Airlines and air safety authorities should anticipate stronger microbursts. More frequent wind gust turbulence from microbursts is to be expected over eastern Australia, in our ongoing warming climate. Milton Speer is a Visiting Fellow in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney.
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Bad news for nervous fliers! Severe turbulence is set to get even WORSE thanks to climate change, scientists say - as they discover a link between 'freak wind gusts' and global warming
It's something that any nervous traveller dreads during a long-haul flight. But severe turbulence is set to get even worse - with climate change to blame. That's according to Professor Lance M Leslie and Milton Speer from the University of Technology Sydney, who have discovered a link between 'freak wind gusts' and global warming. Using machine learning techniques, the pair found that heat and moisture are 'key ingredients' for dangerous wind gusts known as 'downbursts.' Downbursts can wreak havoc during takeoff and landing, causing planes to dangerously gain or lose altitude. Based on their findings, the scientists are calling for air safety authorities and airlines to be 'more vigilant during takeoff and landing in a warming world.' 'Our research is among the first to detail the heightened climate risk to airlines from thunderstorm microbursts, especially during takeoff and landing,' they explained in an article for The Conversation. 'Airlines and air safety authorities should anticipate more strong microbursts.' Flying has long been recognised as a safe mode of travel, with an accident rate of just 1.13 per one million flights. However, in recent months, there have been several reports of planes experiencing extreme turbulence. In March, five passengers were injured by extreme turbulence that forced a United Express flight to make an emergency landing in Texas. Then in June, nine people were injured after a Ryanair flight was hit by severe turbulence, with crew and passengers left in tears and the plane forced to make an emergency landing. Until now, most studies on turbulence have focused on dangers at high-altitude, such as clear air turbulence, and jet stream instability. In contrast, there has been less research on the dangers of turbulence caused by downbursts at lower altitudes. In their new study, publihsed in the journal Climate, the researchers turned to machine learning to identify the climate drivers behind these downbursts. Their results revealed that increased heat and moisture 'spell trouble for planes'. 'Global warming increases the amount of water vapour in the lower atmosphere,' they explained. 'That's because 1°C of warming allows the atmosphere to hold 7% more water vapour. 'The extra moisture typically comes from adjacent warmer seas. It evaporates from the surface of the ocean and feeds clouds. 'Increased heat and water vapour fuels stronger thunderstorms.' The main problem with thunderstorms for planes is the risk of hazardous, rapid changes in wind strength and direction at low altitudes, according to the experts. In particular, small downbursts measuring just a few kilometres wide - dubbed 'microbursts' - can cause abrupt changes in wind speed and direction. For unlucky passengers, this results in turbulence that 'suddenly moves the plane in all directions.' Somewhat unsurprisingly, smaller planes are particularly susceptible to this type of low-altitude turbulence. 'Small planes with 4–50 passenger seats are more vulnerable to the strong, even extreme, wind gusts spawned by thunderstorm microbursts,' the experts added. Worryingly, as temperatures aroung the globe continue to rise, microbursts are only going to get worse. 'A warming climate increases low- to mid-level troposphere water vapor, typically transported from high sea-surface temperature regions,' the pair added in their study. 'Consequently, the future occurrence and intensity of destructive wind gusts from wet microburst thunderstorms are expected to increase.' WHY DO STORMS AND HOT WEATHER CAUSE DISRUPTION TO TRAINS AND PLANES? HOW HOT WEATHER AFFECTS AIRCRAFT Aircraft components begin to overheat and become damaged in extreme temperatures, with seals softening or melting. If temperatures exceed 47°C (116°F), planes are grounded as some aircraft manufacturers can't guarantee the necessary engine propulsion. Aeroplanes fly because the speed of the aircraft causes ambient air to travel over the wings creating lift. When the flow of air is disrupted, the wing loses, or gains, lift. Hot air is less dense than cold air, which means aircraft require more engine power to generate the same thrust and lift as they would in cooler climes. The warmer it gets, the less density there is in the air, which in turn results in less upwind for the wings. Cumulonimus clouds, which occur during thunderstorms, can also be problematic as they are associated with heavy and sudden down pours of rain. These clouds are often caused by periods of very hot weather. Thunderstorms are a challenge for a pilot because there are several dangers like wind shear, turbulence, rain, icing and lightning. HOW HEAT AFFECTS TRAINS Thousands of miles of steel tracks cross the UK, much of which is exposed to sunlight. Tracks in direct sunshine can be as much as 20°C (36°F) hotter than the ambient air temperature according to Network Rail, which manages Britain's railway infrastructure. Heatwaves can cause points failures and signal disturbances, while in some places the tracks have buckled under the heat. As temperature rises, the steel rail absorbs heat and expands, causing it to curve, or buckle. The forces the temperature change provokes pushes and pulls the track out of shape. Buckled tracks need to be repaired before trains can run again, leading to disruption.
