What is clear-air turbulence, and what to do if a plane hit it

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The cause of the incident with the plane Boeing 777 Aeroflot airline, operating the flight Moscow - Bangkok, became “clear sky turbulence”. This was reported by the press service of the carrier. President of the Air Transport Infrastructure Development Fund Honored Pilot of the USSR Oleg Smirnov answered the questions TASS, what is this phenomenon, and what should passengers of an airplane that has got into its zone do.

What is turbulence?

Turbulence is the chaotic movement of air masses having different densities and temperatures. Smirnov says there are several types of turbulence. During the flight, airliners very often pass through this zone during takeoff and landing, especially in summer. It is caused by the fact that warm air currents coming from the ground collide with cold ones. At this time, the plane may shake and panels may creak. But this turbulence is absolutely safe for passengers and the airliner - provided that travelers are sitting in their seats and wearing seat belts.

Turbulence at medium and high altitudes is extremely dangerous, according to Smirnov. It usually forms in cumulus and thunderstorm clouds. They are clearly visible - both visually and on radar. Both international and Russian flight safety regulations require controllers and pilots to avoid these areas. “It is strictly forbidden to enter powerful cumulus and thunderstorm clouds,” Smirnov said.

“Turbulence of a clear sky” is distinguished by the fact that it occurs in an absolutely clean, cloudless space. It is invisible to the pilot's eye, and it is not fixed by radar. Most often it occurs due to the jet stream - a strong wind that blows at a speed of about 300 kilometers per hour. Last year in the world 750 was recorded cases of aircraft falling into such turbulence.

Yes. After being hit in turbulence, the plane can reach the supercritical angles of attack (that is, the air flow will blow the wing of the plane without creating lift), lose control and fall. Fortunately, pilots are trained to act in this situation.

Smirnov claims that the recipe is simple: if possible, remain seat belted throughout the entire flight (by the way, this is also recommended by the aviation safety instructions). If the flight attendant commands you to fasten your seat belts and clear the table, you should do this immediately. By the way, the pilots of the aircraft are fastened to the seat for the entire flight - right up to the end of taxiing. “This is inconvenient for some, but you can be sure that if you get into such a situation, you will remain in your seat and will not hit the ceiling of the plane,” said the honored pilot of the USSR.

In addition, Smirnov recommends, if possible, to abandon the use in flight of heavy objects, such as laptops. If the plane gets into turbulence, the device will easily vomit out of hand, and it can cause significant injuries to you or other passengers.

All these restrictions will have to be observed until scientists learn to recognize “clear-air turbulence.” According to Oleg Smirnov, developments in this direction have been going on for a long time: “They are working on such a device, and, I hope, it will soon be presented and aircraft will be equipped with it.”