Worst turbulence you've experienced?
- Thread starter scorza
- Start date
Worst turbulence I've felt was on a short flight between Hong Kong and Kota Kinabalu. About half way there the seatbelt light came on, and as soon as it did, and before the cabin crew could get seated, it felt like we dropped a few hundred feet or so. 
The sound from people in the cabin resembled that from a rollercoaster.
The sound from people in the cabin resembled that from a rollercoaster.
Last edited:
I can second that !
Only once but it was a goodun - about fifteen years ago on a flight into Milan.
We came down over the Alps and could see lightning skitting across the top of a mass of dark grey cloud blow us and arcing to the ground everywhere. We entered the storm and soon after dropped like a lead balloon maybe a thousand feet (who knows really), which wasn't great considering we were likely at 8,000 ish at the time. Everything went everywhere and everyone was crying and waling - men, women and children and a party of Japanese opposite me started bobbing backwards and forwards like no tomorrow, preying with their hands firmly clasped together.
The plane was being thrown about every which all the way down but after a very steep decent we somehow landed first time like a ton of bricks. Then halfway down the runway twin lightning strikes hit the ground right next to us on each side of the plane and lit the whole of the interior up.
The cries of elation when we finally taxied were deafening and pretty much everyone fell out of the plane as if we'd been through ten rounds with Tyson. A few medics ran passed us to attend to a few that had minor injuries.
I was shaking for the rest of the day - it was a bum twitcher for sure.
We came down over the Alps and could see lightning skitting across the top of a mass of dark grey cloud blow us and arcing to the ground everywhere. We entered the storm and soon after dropped like a lead balloon maybe a thousand feet (who knows really), which wasn't great considering we were likely at 8,000 ish at the time. Everything went everywhere and everyone was crying and waling - men, women and children and a party of Japanese opposite me started bobbing backwards and forwards like no tomorrow, preying with their hands firmly clasped together.
The plane was being thrown about every which all the way down but after a very steep decent we somehow landed first time like a ton of bricks. Then halfway down the runway twin lightning strikes hit the ground right next to us on each side of the plane and lit the whole of the interior up.
The cries of elation when we finally taxied were deafening and pretty much everyone fell out of the plane as if we'd been through ten rounds with Tyson. A few medics ran passed us to attend to a few that had minor injuries.
I was shaking for the rest of the day - it was a bum twitcher for sure.
Last edited:
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2004
- Posts
- 47,207
Small jet, coming into Memphis to land (had to go near a nasty thunderstorm).
Flew into Orlando the day after a Hurricane, distinctly remember the whole bumping around being unpleasant, as well as the oxygen masks being forced out of their compartments (didn't drop enough for it to be pressure related). It wasn't so bad, but the 4 hours holding on the apron after landing due to waiting for a stand to clear, or some other situation we were unaware of at the time wasn't nice. We were on that plane for a good 16 hours, and as a 14 years old, no fun.
Jumbo on the way to Florida. I was only 7 but can remember it still
We went through a thunder cloud and were advised to fasten seat belts whilst eating a meal. I did but remember some didn't. There was a few minutes of rumbling and shaking and suddenly the whole plane dropped. Food, all sorts of other things and people (who didn't have a seat-belt on) shot to the ceiling.
After everyone settled it was announced that were were struck by lightning and had dropped ~1000 feet. Nice!
We went through a thunder cloud and were advised to fasten seat belts whilst eating a meal. I did but remember some didn't. There was a few minutes of rumbling and shaking and suddenly the whole plane dropped. Food, all sorts of other things and people (who didn't have a seat-belt on) shot to the ceiling.
After everyone settled it was announced that were were struck by lightning and had dropped ~1000 feet. Nice!
Permabanned
- Joined
- 20 Nov 2011
- Posts
- 3,814
- Location
- Cambridge/Chicago
Luckily I have never had turbulence too bad on a flight, just a bit. Although friends I flew with recently were a bit nervous as their previous flight had very bad turbulence with sudden drops and what not, they said people were screaming the whole flight lol
Flew on one of these
During a rather gusty day, the sponsons? would catch the gusts and you'd feel the plane drop and move laterally! It was the most fun I've ever had on a plane, it was such a great feeling when it would drop or move around. The other people on the plane were commuters, probably thought my dad and I were bonkers at how giddy we were.
During a rather gusty day, the sponsons? would catch the gusts and you'd feel the plane drop and move laterally! It was the most fun I've ever had on a plane, it was such a great feeling when it would drop or move around. The other people on the plane were commuters, probably thought my dad and I were bonkers at how giddy we were.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 1 Dec 2010
- Posts
- 53,766
- Location
- Welling, London
Coming back from Cyprus. Run into a bit of a storm. My cousin didn't like flying at the best of times. It turned her into humpty dumpty. We had to spend the rest of the flight putting her back together.