Worst turbulence you've experienced?

[twist3d0n3]

Not turbulence as such, but flying back from Malta to Bristol in November when we had the particularly bad storms and floods 4 years ago. It was so windy that the plane was literally landing sideways, ie I could see the end of the runway from my window seat. Props to the pilot.



Was I on your flight? lol

Scarily similar lol

 

[Col_M]

I've had a bit on the way to the US, nothing too bad though.
The landing at Heathrow last night was a bit fun, I'm guessing there was a bit of crosswind as it was all over the shop on final approach and the landing felt a bit scruffy, I was on BA0869.

 

[Danthus]

 

[Marky]

I was flying into Gatwick probably about three years ago and we had really bad turbulence on the landing. Right before we saw the runway, the plane made a pretty scary dive to the left and when we hit the runway it certainly wasn't running straight immediately

Once everyone was sure it was okay, everyone started clapping - That was pretty weird

 

[Aod]

No. No, it didn't.

http://www.askthepilot.com/questionanswers/turbulence/

Given that altimeter readings are based on atmospheric pressure, and turbulence is hitting patches of drastically lower or higher pressure air, pressure-based altimeter readings can't be assumed to be 100% accurate.

I don't know if airliners use more accurate (ie, GPS-based) altitude measurements as well though.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

I once told my girlfriend of the time that she "wasn't as good as your sister".

So, a lot

 

[Ceryndrion]

I've always worked on the principle that if the pilot thought the turbulence was too bad, he'd not fly..

Best line though "Ladies and gentlemen, we are expecting some turbulence from about 20 minutes into this flight.. probably until just before we land.. on the plus side, we will have a 600mph tail-wind, and will land an hour early"

 

[DTWD]

Given that altimeter readings are based on atmospheric pressure, and turbulence is hitting patches of drastically lower or higher pressure air, pressure-based altimeter readings can't be assumed to be 100% accurate.

I don't know if airliners use more accurate (ie, GPS-based) altitude measurements as well though.

Good question.

During the Air France Airbus crash in 2009 the AP handed control back to the aircrew because it didn't know how fast it was going (due to pitot tube icing). I suspect if someone was installing a backup GPS device to measure altitude it would seem prudent and simple to have it also measure speed, something I assume that Airbus couldn't/didn't do.

So from that standpoint, maybe they don't.

 

[DTWD]

Turbulence only worries me because I get heavily motion sick. Even a rough landing is enough to send me diving me for the sick bag.

I'm such a big jessy, always fearful incase I'm sick on the plane. Hasn't happened yet *touch wood* but there's been a few near cases of project vomiting.

I'd love to understand why I'm affected by motion sickness so badly whereas the other 95% of the passengers are totally fine and continue eating/drinking/sleeping. Must be an imbalance in my body

I suffer from something very similar, I keep getting told to go see a Dr, but I haven't yet.

I feel terrible when I can't see where I am going. I remember back in the day when you were allowed in cockpits I would begin feeling an awful lot better by being able to look out of the front. So night flying made me bad as the side windows also become useless. I also suffer from this in any vehicle, if I look down in a car or a bus/train for too long I start getting squidgy.

I also feel motion sick if I lay completely flat. If I have a pillow I am fine.

So I assume I have some sort of hyper sensitive/broken inner ear. Of course most of the time it's all made the worse by the terrible air on aircraft/buses etc. If I feel ill in a car I open a window and that usually helps...I doubt they would be too chuffed about me doing that at 30,000 feet

 

[Darg]

Worst was flying from London to Dublin, had been pretty bumpy all the way across the sea but got steadily worse coming in to land. Stewardesses had to pack up the trolleys early and return to their seats, I had a perfect view out a window as we were coming in to land and we were all over the place. Plane felt like it was being shoved 20 feet in any direction with each lurch.

About 50 ft above the runway, just as I was preparing the lean back for the bump the plane lurched downwards rapidly to about 15-20ft above the tarmac, the pilot immediately executed a go around, the engines roared as loud as I've ever heard them and everybody was pretty shocked.

10 minutes later after circling around we came in again and it was just as bad but luckily no major lurch near the ground, hard landing though but the pilot got a nice ovation at the end.

 

[Dis86]

Mine was a flight in to Barcelona. Did the thing a few people mentioned where it had a massive and sudden drop. Few minor injuries but one of the hostesses got banged up pretty badly. Trouble was it was then seriously bumpy for another few hours as there was a problem with the airport and we were stuck in one of those queuing spiral things.

To make matters worse i'm not the best of fliers...

 

[areksnumbr1sxylady]

New York to London, about 3 hours of pure turbulence they didnt even serve drinks or food...

Flying from Tampa to NYC, through massive storm due to which airport was shut down for 2 hours but we were already in the air... I really thought we gna die there since there were moments when we were falling for like 20 seconds and you look out of the window and whole sky below,above to the side is all white due to thunder.

They switched off lights in cabin for some time, but due to thunder outside it illuminated whole cabin and they decided to turn it back off due to people actually being hysterical, it was very late at night and it was very dark.

It was AA flight and we got given out any amount of alcohol for free.

 

[Suarez7]

That sounds like hell ^

 

[Rroff]

No. No, it didn't.

Flying back from the US once (detroit->amsterdam) while somewhere roughly in the middle of the north atlantic we ran into severe turbulence and the onscreen display was showing altitude differences of around 700 feet over very short periods of time (well in excess of 2000fpm). The actual sudden drop and stops was in the region of 40 feet though going by the captains announcement about "dropping the height of a house 'but everythings under control'".

 

[[TW]Fox]

I've actually been fairly lucky and never really had anything other than minor turbulance on a widebody plane - infact my last flight (YVR-LHR) had absolutely zero turbulence whatsoever and we didnt have the seatbelt signs at all I don't think. Very nice.

Worst was on a Dornier 328 to Grand Canyon Airport. That was terrifying - it was all over the place. Came in almost sideways. I expected the pilot to say something but he emerged from his cabin calm as you like and said 'enjoy the Canyon'. I'm clearly just a massive wimp

 

[MOOGLEYS]

The worst turbulence I have experienced is in a Hercules low level over the sea. I have a video I filmed of people going weightless in the seats and the wings flapping so hard they look like they are about to come off.

Scared the hell out of me...

 

[MOOGLEYS]

Given that altimeter readings are based on atmospheric pressure, and turbulence is hitting patches of drastically lower or higher pressure air, pressure-based altimeter readings can't be assumed to be 100% accurate.

I don't know if airliners use more accurate (ie, GPS-based) altitude measurements as well though.

They have radar altimeter's (Rad Alt) which give an accurate height above ground level.

 

[Biohazard]

The heat in spain can provide for some very bumpy dropped landings.

Can't remember anything off hand, probably a lightening Storm close to Greenland. Meh, it's either going to land or not.

 

[DTWD]

They have radar altimeter's (Rad Alt) which give an accurate height above ground level.

They only tend to work up to a certain altitude. Way below cruise altitude that's for sure. However they are used for the landing as they bang on accurate as you say.

 

[Efour]

Djerba > Tunis on a turbo prop thing that spent what felt like ten minutes dropping 100s of feet then climbing again to repeat.
I nearly ripped the seat in front of me out of the floor.

2nd worst was a little 8 seater chopper that i crew changed on in Tunisia too. Pilot flew what i considered "sideways" home. Shut my eyes and dealt with it.