The article mentioned that the turbulence commenced roughly 1 hour out of Miami. I've only been on a few flights in the Caribbean area and I recall on one instance, we were cruising back to Miami in FL200-FL260 due to turbulence at higher altitudes (this was MDPP-KMIA). Is this a common occurrence in the area?

 

During red-eyes I ALWAYS leave the sign on.......if I turn the sign on and off all night long, then the cockpit or FA's HAVE to make an announcement. How many times do you want to be woken up? Common sense seems to be a thing of the past......pax don't listen to the safety briefing in the beginning, and they sure don't respect the seatbelt sign during flight either. It's too bad that someone has to get hurt for people to get the message. Maybe this will open a few eyes.

 

A bit off subject, but what is the procedure for testing the aircraft, its airframe, or what is the test procedures following severe turbulence, or an event like this?

Is the airframe checked? How about the wings? What type of testing do they do, if any?

 

Do you mean testing before the airframe is certified or do you mean testing after a severe encounter for an in service airframe?

I was on a hop from DFW to IAH a couple of years ago on a 737 that encountered severe during the climb out from Dallas. The most severe I have ever seen in 15 years of commercial flying and certainly as a passenger (I was in the back). Since we were on the climb, everyone was buckled and so it was nothing more than a BIG surprise and no injuries or damage. I would imaging that the CA turned in a report, but beyond that I would be surprised if anything other than a quick look by maint. Seems to me that it was hard on the poeple inside, but not on the airframe itself.

It was funny to see the 10 gallon hat on the guy a couple of rows up as it stuck to the ceiling for a bit.....

Just my .02

 

I have no problem, at all, with remaining seated with my seat belt fastened.
Not only do I keep my seat belt securely fastened during all aspects of flight (aside from the very occasional relief trip) I also keep my hands securely fastened around the seat arms. This, in turn, creates that white-knuckled effect. Said white-knuckled effect lasts for the duration of any given flight. Can you say: fear of flying?!!!!!!
(Said death grip on seat arms and seat belt tightened to the point of semi-suffocation is usually, however, mitigated by copious amounts of alcoholic beverages. Preferably served free of cost.)

 

I always listen to the safety brief, read the brochure, find my nearest exit, and immediately buckle my seat belt (and leave it buckled) and I'm always aware during takeoff and landing. I also usually stop by the book store and buy a 'FLYING' magazine to read on the flight(s). Well...on this one early morning flight I was doing all of the above and we were taxiing out and this little old grandmother reaches over and pats my knee and says to me "It is OK, I do this all this all the time" I had no idea why she did this until I looked down to start reading my new magazine and saw that one of the headlines on the cover was "Are you scared of flying?" I didn't have the heart to tell her!

USMCFLYR

 

Wow! So I'm not the only one!!! Yes, I listen very attentively to every safety briefing and make mental note of the nearest exits. As well as the location of where the oxygen masks might deploy, where the FAs stations are located, where the barf bags are, etc. I don't bother with reading anything because I can't during flight. (As I can't read during car rides either!) Can't sleep either. so I stare straight ahead, white-knuckled and red-faced. (Sort of like being in a catatonic state.) Yet, I've been flying as a passenger for many years now with probably well over 300,000 miles. (I remember the good ol' days when the alcohol served was mostly free of charge, and one could even smoke in the back of the bus.) But it all boils down to that one regretful flight from Berlin, GE to Moscow, RU back in '91.
Got on an "aircraft" (Aeroflot) in Templehof. (Said aircraft consisted of 2 props and looked like it should have been deposited n a museum a long, long time ago. During the climb out from Templehof the plane shuddered and screeched and sang like a canary. Things were flying all over the place: (and not just the aircraft.) food was spilling out of the galley, luggage was dropping out of the overheads, ceiling panels were coming undone, the FA's were all belted in and white-faced, this little old Russian priest who was on the flight continued blessing himself and muttering prayers aloud, and people were barfing and yelling out that we were all about to die. (It sounded, at times, like a lunatic asylum.)

I've been a flying basket-case ever since.

 

"Nervous? First time?"......"No, I've been nervous lots of times". Wait a minute, you're not Ted Striker are you?!!? Airplane just never gets old does it?

 

A classic that still gets me to this day! The whole sunglasses thing still kills me

USMCFLYR

 

My fav:

No, feet...