Thirty two injured on China flight (Turbulence)

[Bernie P]

THIRTY two people were hospitalised after a China Airlines Boeing 747-400 hit severe turbulence en route from Hong Kong to Bangkok.

The flight hit turbulence 20 minutes before landing, injuring 21 passengers and 11 crew members, before landing safely at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Fourteen of the injured were from Thailand, the US and Israel, the airline said.

It was the second incident of severe turbulence for the carrier in less than two weeks.

More than 30 people were injured, including one man who suffered a fractured spine, on September 20 when another China Airlines jet hit severe turbulence en route from Taiwan to Indonesia's Bali island.

Source: news.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24439708-5001028,00.html)

[Mike Scott]

One might ask what/why 21 people were either out of their seats or did not have their seat belts fastened only 20 minutes before landing. F/A's should have completed pre-landing cabin walk thru ensuring that pax were in fact in their seats and belted in. At that point in the descent profile the seat belt sign should have been on for at least 10 minutes. Something amiss (IMHO) given the high number of injuries at that particular point in the flight.;)

MS

[Philip Argy]

Not sure what descent profile would have been in use in this particular case, but in my experience the fasten seat belt light would not be on 30 minutes prior to touchdown (absent expected turbulence); in fact I'd suggest that 30 minutes before touchdown most flights cruising below FL40 would not yet have commenced their descent. Does the 744 use an unusually shallow glide path?

[Erik H. Bakke]

One does not necessarily have to be unstrapped in order to be injured in turbulence, though it most definitely reduces the risk and gravity of injuries significantly.

Apart from being thrown around, the second main reason for turbulence-related injuries is being hit by flying objects (including unstrapped passengers).

That's why you may be asked to stow away any loose items when the fasten seatbelts sign is switched on, in order to reduce the risk of flying items. But yes, I agree with you Mike, the cabin should have been secured at this stage of the flight, which includes both seatbelts and stowing away loose items.

[Adam G]

The cabin wouldn't be secured at that stage.

Most airlines use around 20000ft for cabin prep (around 15 minutes out) and crew secured at 5000ft or first stage of flap extension (less then 5 minutes out).

Some airlines including QF don't enforce the seat belt sign until the crew secure stage.

[Mike Scott]

I guess it all depends on the standards/environment in which you operate. Once I start the descent phase of the flight seatbelt sign goes on and follow up with a PA requesting that everyone return to their seats and for the FA's to secure the aircraft for landing. Secondary reason of course is safety, expected turbulence is one thing, its the unexpected bumps that get you especially if you are one of the early arrivals (which we are coming into Sydney) you dont often get the pireps that give you the heads up on whats going on ahead of you. ..either way having bags and bodies stowed at least limits the opportunity damage/injury which can turn into expensive lawsuits. Standard practice at UA is the 30 minute before landing minimum....hence my question in this case. Even in the cases where we have a fairly lengthy (or slow) descent requirement (ATC flow etc) we want to give folks as much time as possible to make those last bathroom visits, get those loose objects stowed, then get themselves stowed thus leaving the aisles clear for our FA's to get their duties completed in plenty of time for their final cabin walkthrough's before landing. Philp, the 400 does not have an unusually shallow glidepath..there are standard descent performanced based profiles which we use (varies by airline and ATC or WX requirements) also differ's by aircraft type and which approach is in use....lots of variables. Thanks for the responses to my query.

Regards

MS

[Chris Roope]

Airlines from the US have quite a different (far more conservative) approach to seatbelt sign useage to many others round the world (rightly or wrongly).
I'm sure that it is perfectly normal for that number of people to still be moving around the cabin 20 minutes prior to landing, this would have been just after top of descent, which does seem to be the cue for a lot of passengers to make that last visit to the toilets prior to arrival.