One dead as London-Singapore flight hit by turbulence

[JuliusWong 0]

Found this similar incident involving Malaysia Airlines A380 MH1, also over Bay of Bengal back in 2016. 

https://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/06/149902/malaysia-airlines-aircraft-experiences-turbulence-passengers-and-crew-injured

[jahur 0]

Singapore Airlines modifies cabin service routines following turbulence incident

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• Singapore Airlines (SIA) has adopted a more cautious approach to managing turbulence in-flight. 
• In addition to the suspension of hot beverage service when the seat belt sign is on, the meal service will also be suspended.
• During poor weather conditions, particularly in turbulence, cabin crew will continue to secure all loose items and equipment in the cabin and galley to minimise the risk of turbulence-related injuries.
• Crew members will also continue to advise passengers to return to their seats and secure their seat belts. They will also monitor customers who may require assistance, including those in the lavatories. 
• Crew members will also return to their seats and secure their seat belts when the seat belt sign is on.
• Pilots and cabin crew are aware of the hazards associated with turbulence. They are also trained to assist customers and ensure cabin safety throughout the flight. 
• SIA will continue to review our processes as the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance.

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The second change — which may be particular to my flight — is that the second meal was served at the mid-point, instead of the usual 2.5 hours before landing. The idea behind this is that the weather closer to Singapore can be more unpredictable, and because of the requirement that cabin crew are seated whenever the seatbelt sign goes on, there may not be sufficient time to complete the service otherwise.

From my interactions with the crew, it seems the reaction to the new SOPs was mixed. On the one hand, they agreed that safety should of course be paramount. On the other, the new rule can be potentially disruptive to their workflow, and may result in them having to complete more work in a shorter amount of time.

Also, it did seem like there was quite a bit of confusion regarding when the second meal should be served, which is understandable given that this policy has just come into place. For instance, I was initially told by the IFS that the second meal would be served three hours prior to landing, before a cabin-wide announcement subsequently updated that to mid-flight.

From the looks of it. Paranoia from the insurance folks have kicked in for SIA.

Sometimes the issue like MH's dumb no hot drinks enforcement is related to the actual PA announcement itself. The PA is quite long and tedious and not casually short. You have cabin crews finding it annoying to repeat the same phrase when the seat belt sign is turned off after and then turned on back. Might as well keep it back on throughout as a result. Some of the weather do not appear or painted correctly on the radar display(differing on what type of radar model the airline or lessor has installed on the particular aircraft) and its up to the pilots to decide when to turn it on and off for the seatbelt then you got some of the rare ones that really do not show on screen at all.

Issues like this coupled with missbehaving passengers unbuckling their seats when the sign is off, underpaid crew fed up with the procedures, and insurance circling on top. You get a very woody like SOPs that is likely to stay. Cause at the end of the day the airlines responsibility is to only get u from point a to b irregardless how screwed up the entire journey can be and it is written in their TNC.

Edited May 24 by jahur

[Alif A. F. 0]

Just an idea, why not put seatbelt sign-on text announcement on IFE screens so all passengers can see. Say, if passengers watch movies, the announcement text can be placed on the screen edge from time to time...slightly annoying but it keeps them always reminded. Also, can add weather or cloud layer in navigation maps too so passengers get rough idea how the weather like surrounding the plane they are in 😅...

[Alif A. F. 0]

On 5/22/2024 at 9:41 PM, jahur said:

A lot of crew from the B767 B777 who moved to the A330, B738, A320 mentioned the same thing the ride handling when going into bumps seems to be smoother on the 767 777. Its something likely related to the broad and large wing size and sturdier fat fuselage ratio.

There's also this on the 787 and something similar on the A380 and A350.
What is a gust alleviation system?

 

The older aircrafts and the A320, B737, A330, A340 simple wing design as a result makes the ride a bit more wonky.

Still throwing any aircrafts into moderate to severe turbulence regardless how much inhibitors or alleviation system is installed wont be a nice ride. People would still get tossed into the ceiling if they dont have seat belts fasten.

 

56 minutes ago, Pall said:

No manufacturer will produce such documents on turbulence penetration performance between one model to another. Except for procedures on dealing with severe turbulence during different phases of flight. (I.e climb/descend speed, ignition setting and thrust selection)

This are based on feedback of Pilot's who have flown both types as well as Cabin Crew's experience operating those types day in and day out. 

Perhaps you can try speaking to them, they have real world experiences on this as part of their daily routine. 

 

Thanks for the responses. 

[jahur 0]

28 minutes ago, Alif A. F. said:

Just an idea, why not put seatbelt sign-on text announcement on IFE screens so all passengers can see. Say, if passengers watch movies, the announcement text can be placed on the screen edge from time to time...slightly annoying but it keeps them always reminded. Also, can add weather or cloud layer in navigation maps too so passengers get rough idea how the weather like surrounding the plane they are in 😅...

There's also pre recorded announcement that can be played on the PA. but it seems quite a lot of airlines prefer the cabin crew to talk am not sure why lol perhaps passengers just dont find it serious if everything is pre recorded.

Adding cloud layer might spook off some of the passengers. Remember our national carrier even turned off the tail cam a while back after the disasters due to complaints from jakun passengers.

[flee 5]

2 hours ago, Alif A. F. said:

Just an idea, why not put seatbelt sign-on text announcement on IFE screens so all passengers can see. Say, if passengers watch movies, the announcement text can be placed on the screen edge from time to time...slightly annoying but it keeps them always reminded. Also, can add weather or cloud layer in navigation maps too so passengers get rough idea how the weather like surrounding the plane they are in 😅...

I flew on SQ last month and I was surprised to find out that they do not mute the audio during announcements (like a lot of airlines do, past and present). They just showed some text on the IFE screen to say there is an announcement in the cabin. This was the same for all their aircraft types.

[Sandeep G 1]

6 hours ago, flee said:

I flew on SQ last month and I was surprised to find out that they do not mute the audio during announcements (like a lot of airlines do, past and present). They just showed some text on the IFE screen to say there is an announcement in the cabin. This was the same for all their aircraft types.

Across the industry, a large number of complaints in the past about frequency of in-flight announcements, and subsequent disruption of passenger comfort/entertainment program. 

https://simpleflying.com/too-many-announcements-do-passengers-care-what-the-pilot-is-called/ 

IFE screens on SQ do have "visual fasten seatbelt" on the A350/787 IFE systems for sure. 

Perhaps in time to come, the "fine print" of tickets will exclude the individual from compensation if discovered they did not have their seat belts fastened when the seat belt sign is indeed on... guess seats/belt mechanisms will need some sort of sensor like in cars. All depends on the cost-benefit analysis between Insurance payouts and Part 25 approval.

[JuliusWong 0]

Those who left BKK with the relief flight, each received SGD1000 as compensation. I believe more to come. 

As of this morning, 46 passengers and two crew remain in BKK. One of the crew seems to have quite serious spinal injury that required two operations. 

[jahur 0]

Emergency services at Dublin Airport after passengers and crew injured by turbulence on Qatar Airways flight

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Emergency services are at Dublin Airport after 12 people were injured on a flight due to turbulence.

Six passengers and six crew members on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin were hurt after experiencing turbulence over Turkey.

Graeme McQueen, Media Relations Manager at daa, the operator of Dublin Airport, told Sky News: "Qatar Airways flight QR017 from Doha landed safely as scheduled at Dublin Airport shortly before 13.00 on Sunday.

 

From flightradar24

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We’re aware of reports of severe turbulence over Turkey aboard today’s #QR17 from Doha to Dublin. Per @DublinAirport 6 passengers and 6 crew sought medical attention upon landing.

https://fr24.com/data/flights/qr17#3562d6b0

A note of caution with data from this flight: GPS jamming in the region may render data from this flight unreliable. We are currently processing the full, raw data to determine data validity.

 

[JuliusWong 0]

9V-SWM, the SQ aircraft involved in the incident, is back in SIN yesterday 13 39. Major checks and repair will ensue.

[flee 5]

54 minutes ago, JuliusWong said:

9V-SWM, the SQ aircraft involved in the incident, is back in SIN yesterday 13 39. Major checks and repair will ensue.

Yes, they received approval to fly the plane after checks were made and flight recorders downloaded the data for investigators. I suspect that the plane won't need substantial repairs - mostly just to repair cabin damage and a thorough clean up.

[Alif A. F. 0]

I guess the livery might be back to standard SIA scheme. The media has been quite specific about showing that exact Star Alliance livery...

[JuliusWong 0]

4 hours ago, Alif A. F. said:

I guess the livery might be back to standard SIA scheme. The media has been quite specific about showing that exact Star Alliance livery...

Likely we won't see this aircraft return to service anymore or even if it does, it will not stay for long. SQ has a taboo of returning damaged aircraft back into service. They returned an A330-300 to Airbus which was involved in a tail strike in RGN back in 2019. Then the pandemic came and SQ took the opportunity to retire the fleet. The damaged aircraft only saw four years of services [and another three years in storage] and is now partially scrapped. 

Fortunately, there are two more B77Ws in Star Alliance colours 9V-SWI and 9V-SWJ. The last two SQ aircraft in Star Alliance. None of the A350, A380 and B787-10 are painted in Star Alliance colours.

Edited May 27 by JuliusWong

[Chris Tan 0]

17 hours ago, JuliusWong said:

Likely we won't see this aircraft return to service anymore or even if it does, it will not stay for long. SQ has a taboo of returning damaged aircraft back into service. They returned an A330-300 to Airbus which was involved in a tail strike in RGN back in 2019. Then the pandemic came and SQ took the opportunity to retire the fleet. The damaged aircraft only saw four years of services [and another three years in storage] and is now partially scrapped. 

Fortunately, there are two more B77Ws in Star Alliance colours 9V-SWI and 9V-SWJ. The last two SQ aircraft in Star Alliance. None of the A350, A380 and B787-10 are painted in Star Alliance colours.

Funny, 9V-SWB famously had an engine fire after landing back in 2016, but it's still very much in service today. Are 77Ws exempt from this taboo?

Edited May 28 by Chris Tan

[Craig 0]

On 5/27/2024 at 2:32 PM, Alif A. F. said:

I guess the livery might be back to standard SIA scheme. The media has been quite specific about showing that exact Star Alliance livery...

They might be secretly happy it's the Star Alliance theme. At least the media isn't showing their Golden Goose everywhere.

[jahur 0]

Turkish Airlines Flight Attendant Injured As Airbus A321 Faces Severe Turbulence

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New Delhi: A Turkish Airlines flight bound from Istanbul to Izmir encountered severe turbulence, resulting in a significant injury to a cabin crew member. The incident occurred shortly after the pilot activated the seat belt sign, causing sudden turbulence that rocked the aircraft.

Reports indicate that a crew member was thrown against the ceiling before crashing down, suffering a severe back injury. Passengers onboard reportedly experienced moments of anxiety as the turbulence shook the plane.

The injured crew member was promptly transported to the hospital for medical treatment upon landing in Izmir. Healthcare professionals confirmed that the crew member had suffered a broken vertebra and was receiving necessary care.

 

[Craig 0]

According to Singapore's MOT preliminary report, it appears that SQ 321 was likely flying over an area of developing convective activity (not too sure if that still counts as clear air turbulence). Media however are reporting that it's "rapid change in gravitational forces" which I guess it more click baity.

[Kee Hooi Yen 0]

On 5/29/2024 at 11:29 AM, Craig said:

They might be secretly happy it's the Star Alliance theme. At least the media isn't showing their Golden Goose everywhere.

I was thinking exactly the same 🙂

[KK Lee 5]