CHARLOTTE- On August 8, 2024, the Fort Worth-based American Airlines (AA) flight from Tampa (TPA) to Charlotte (CLT) experienced severe turbulence, injuring two flight attendants.
The flight landed safely at Charlotte and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reported the incident and is currently under investigation.
American Airlines Flight Attendants Injured
FAA has issued a statement on this incident and it wrote,
“American Airlines Flight 2905 landed safely at Charlotte Douglas International Airport around 7 p.m. local time on Thursday, August 8, after the crew reported severe turbulence. The Airbus A321 departed from Tampa International Airport.”
According to Flight Radar 24 data, American Airlines flight AA2905 took off from Tampa at 9:48 PM UTC. During cruising, the flight experienced clear air turbulence. For those who are not familiar with the term, here’s a brief on it:
Clear Air Turbulence (CAT) poses a significant challenge for aviation. This sudden, severe turbulence occurs in cloudless regions, causing violent aircraft buffeting. CAT typically occurs above 15,000 feet, often between jet streams and surrounding air.
Types of Clear Air Turbulence:
- Mechanical: Disrupts smooth horizontal airflow
- Thermal: Caused by vertical air currents in unstable atmospheres
These are some of the common reasons for CAT:
- Jet streams are narrow, fast-moving air currents near the tropopause. They create significant vertical and horizontal wind shear, leading to severe CAT.
- Terrain: High ground disturbs horizontal airflow, causing turbulence.
- Thunderstorm Complexes: Cumulonimbus (Cb) cells generate strong vertical currents.
There were 154 passengers, four flight attendants and two flight crew onboard AA2905. Two of 4 flight attendants sustained minor injuries and upon arrival in Charlotte, they were taken to the hospital for check-up and treatment.
American Airlines spokesperson told WBTV that,
“American Airlines flight 2905 with service from Tampa (TPA) to Charlotte (CLT) landed safely at CLT after encountering unexpected turbulence. We thank our crew members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”
American Airlines official statement
Well, on the same day, a Southwest Airlines flight en route to Washington also reported severe turbulence.
Southwest Passenger Injured in Turbulence
On August 7, 2024, Southwest Airlines (WN) flight WN3633 from Manchester-Boston (MHT) to Baltimore/Washington (BWI) reported fierce turbulence, which severely injured one passenger.
FAA has reported the incident and it stated,
“The crew of Southwest Airlines Flight 3633 reported experiencing turbulence while flying to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport around 3:50 p.m. local time on Wednesday, August 7. The Boeing 737-800 had departed from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. Contact the airline for more information. The FAA will investigate.”
The flight which was operated by Boeing 737, registered as N226WN landed safely at Washington. The passenger was rushed to a local hospital and the airline took care of all the needs.
FAA recommends staying “properly secured,” during taxing, takeoff, and landing. But Clear Air Turbulence (CAT) can occur usually in the cruising phase. Flight crew alert the passengers by turning on the seat belt sign during turbulence but it’s always safe to keep your seat belt fasten, no matter in which phase of flight you are at.
Recently, there has been a rise in turbulence-related incidents across the world. If you want to find out the most turbulent routes, click here: Most Turbulent Flight Routes in the World.
Have you experienced the severe turbulence on your flight? How was your experience? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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