SINGAPORE: The issue of safety during in-flight turbulence has taken centrestage, after one passenger died and scores injured when Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ321 encountered severe turbulence en route to Singapore from London's Heathrow Airport on Tuesday (May 21).
Experts shared with CNA on Thursday a range of measures that both passengers and cabin crew can take in such situations.
In a nutshell, yes. But there’s more: Experts told CNA that passengers should keep their seat belts fastened at all times while seated.
Even when seat belts are fastened loosely, they are “very effective” in avoiding serious injuries during strong turbulence on flights, said Professor Rico Merkert, an aviation expert at the University of Sydney.
“It pays off listening to the safety instructions and seat belts should always be fastened when seated.”
Most people on long-haul flights often forget to fasten their seat belts when trying to sleep, including those in flat beds in business class, he added.
During meal times, passengers should keep their seat belts fastened to lower the risk of encountering “unannounced turbulence”, said aviation safety consultant Michael Daniel.
Buckle up when seated, even when the “fasten seat belt” sign is not on, he added.
Children under the age of three should be held by their parents and have their infant seat belts fastened.
“Infants are belted to the adult because they are not big or strong enough to be placed and belted on a separate seat,” said former airline executive Chow Kok Wah.
The infant seat belt prevents the infant from separating from their parent.
During turbulence, parents are advised to hold on to their infants. If the child is in a bassinet, they should be removed and placed on the adult’s lap with an infant seat belt on, said Mr Chow, who has more than 30 years of experience in aerospace.
Clear air turbulence, which experts have posited was what struck flight SQ321, is actually quite frequent, a former SIA flight attendant, who declined to be named, told CNA. It is one reason why passengers are advised to keep their seat belts fastened even though the sign may be off.
But this advice sometimes goes unheeded.
“They see us walking around still, so they think it’s all fine,” the 32-year-old said.
“We also explain to parents especially that when they put their babies in the bassinets, the baby inside needs to lie down with the zipper fastened; if not, it could just fly up and hit the ceiling (during turbulence).”
As for that much-coveted row of empty seats next to you? Lying down across them is not advisable either because you can't be securely belted up in that angle, said the former flight attendant.
If the plane encounters turbulence while passengers are moving about in the cabin or on their way to the toilet, Mr Daniel advises them to maintain a low profile, most likely by crouching.
“First thing is to try to crouch low and hold on to an armrest or cabin or headrest, anything that you can hold on to,” he said, adding that passengers should avoid grabbing onto a service cart.
Prof Merkert advises passengers not to go to the toilet when turbulence is likely, such as when the plane is over oceans.
“If passengers are heading to the toilet and turbulence commences, they should return to their seats immediately,” he said.
Mr Chow said the safety risk here is if passengers are queuing at the toilet. If possible, passengers should control their liquid intake to minimise visits to the restroom on the plane.
Cabin crew should even go as far as to proactively guide passengers who are queueing for the toilets to return to their seats, said Mr Abbas Ismail, course chair for the Diploma in Aviation Management (AMS) at Temasek Polytechnic.
He added that cabin crew who are on the move should also find a seat as quickly as possible when turbulence escalates.
“If the crew are not able to get to the nearest crew seat in time, find the nearest available passenger seat and fasten the seat belt,” he said.
According to experts, where passengers are seated can affect how they feel turbulence.
Experts told CNA that the effects are less apparent in the middle of an aircraft, near the wings.
Mr Daniel, who sits on the panel of experts for the Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore), explained that these seats are “near the plane’s centre of gravity and not as prone to as much airplane pitching or pivoting”.
“The middle of an aircraft, near the wings, can be marginally less turbulent,” said Mr Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor of aviation news website FlightGlobal.
“But seat selection shouldn't have too much of an impact,” he added.
While Prof Merkert agrees that turbulence is felt less in the middle of the aircraft - essentially over the wings - what is more important than where one sits is whether the seat belt is fastened.
“Statically, the safest seats in case of a crash are the ones in the back of an aircraft,” he added.
In cases of extreme turbulence, it is best to avoid seats near the galleys, as service carts and items are mainly stored there, Mr Daniel said.
There are protocols to follow for when the plane hits turbulence, said the former SIA flight stewardess.
“We have to secure ourselves, lay low, and grab onto the nearest seat. If the oxygen masks drop down, we have to grab one also and wear it first, before we can tend to the passengers,” she added.
The woman, who spent eight years as a cabin crew member, shared that there are also “stronghold points” around the cabin for them to hold onto.
“These are small little handles you see around the cabin, in the toilets and in the galleys. The passengers can use it too, but a lot of people are not aware of them. They think it’s just a hole in the wall, because sometimes it looks just like a cut-out,” she said.
“When we see passengers walking around in the cabin during the flight, we also take the opportunity to introduce them to the stronghold points, so that they learn,” she added.
The staff also receive information beforehand through onboard equipment, which can detect things like when the turbulence will hit, how strong it will be and how long it will last.
“So the pilot will inform the crew, and when the time comes, will make an announcement across the PA (public address) system telling passengers to sit down,” she said.
During turbulence, cabin service is paused depending on how severe the situation is.
“If it’s the little bumps type but still alright overall, we just don’t serve hot things like hot drinks or soup. But if it’s really bad, like moderate or above, then the captain will say suspend service,” she shared.
In those situations, the crew will have just five to 10 minutes to stow away all items in the galley, where everything is typically opened and laid out during service.
On Thursday, SIA announced that it would now suspend meal service - in addition to the existing policy of not serving hot drinks - when the seat belt sign is on, as part of a "more cautious approach" to managing turbulence in flight.
The interior of Singapore Airline flight SQ321 is pictured after an emergency landing at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand, May 21, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS/Stringer)
Even during tense moments, cabin crew still need to maintain a high quality of service, noted the former stewardess, who quit two years back. “Some of us may be very scared, but still need to pretend everything is okay, and to reassure passengers and let them know it’s fine.”
Safety training is a component of the three-and-a-half-month programme to become a member of the SIA cabin crew, where trainees learn things like first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
“We also learn what to do when we meet with emergency situations that are unique to aircraft cabins, such as when a plane has to land in the water or when we have to deploy the emergency slide,” she shared.
Cabin crew must attend a refresher annually on safety training, where they will be tested on their response to various scenarios – including turbulence.
“Based on reports from passenger accounts, the SQ crew remained professional and dedicated in helping passengers despite being injured themselves. This is reflective of the good training they have received to deal with emergency situations,” said Mr Abbas.
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Experts shared with CNA on Thursday a range of measures that both passengers and cabin crew can take in such situations.
Is it really just about keeping seat belts on?
In a nutshell, yes. But there’s more: Experts told CNA that passengers should keep their seat belts fastened at all times while seated.
Even when seat belts are fastened loosely, they are “very effective” in avoiding serious injuries during strong turbulence on flights, said Professor Rico Merkert, an aviation expert at the University of Sydney.
“It pays off listening to the safety instructions and seat belts should always be fastened when seated.”
Most people on long-haul flights often forget to fasten their seat belts when trying to sleep, including those in flat beds in business class, he added.
During meal times, passengers should keep their seat belts fastened to lower the risk of encountering “unannounced turbulence”, said aviation safety consultant Michael Daniel.
Buckle up when seated, even when the “fasten seat belt” sign is not on, he added.
Related:
What about the kids?
Children under the age of three should be held by their parents and have their infant seat belts fastened.
“Infants are belted to the adult because they are not big or strong enough to be placed and belted on a separate seat,” said former airline executive Chow Kok Wah.
The infant seat belt prevents the infant from separating from their parent.
During turbulence, parents are advised to hold on to their infants. If the child is in a bassinet, they should be removed and placed on the adult’s lap with an infant seat belt on, said Mr Chow, who has more than 30 years of experience in aerospace.
Clear air turbulence, which experts have posited was what struck flight SQ321, is actually quite frequent, a former SIA flight attendant, who declined to be named, told CNA. It is one reason why passengers are advised to keep their seat belts fastened even though the sign may be off.
But this advice sometimes goes unheeded.
“They see us walking around still, so they think it’s all fine,” the 32-year-old said.
“We also explain to parents especially that when they put their babies in the bassinets, the baby inside needs to lie down with the zipper fastened; if not, it could just fly up and hit the ceiling (during turbulence).”
As for that much-coveted row of empty seats next to you? Lying down across them is not advisable either because you can't be securely belted up in that angle, said the former flight attendant.
What if I’m not seated?
If the plane encounters turbulence while passengers are moving about in the cabin or on their way to the toilet, Mr Daniel advises them to maintain a low profile, most likely by crouching.
“First thing is to try to crouch low and hold on to an armrest or cabin or headrest, anything that you can hold on to,” he said, adding that passengers should avoid grabbing onto a service cart.
Prof Merkert advises passengers not to go to the toilet when turbulence is likely, such as when the plane is over oceans.
“If passengers are heading to the toilet and turbulence commences, they should return to their seats immediately,” he said.
Mr Chow said the safety risk here is if passengers are queuing at the toilet. If possible, passengers should control their liquid intake to minimise visits to the restroom on the plane.
Cabin crew should even go as far as to proactively guide passengers who are queueing for the toilets to return to their seats, said Mr Abbas Ismail, course chair for the Diploma in Aviation Management (AMS) at Temasek Polytechnic.
He added that cabin crew who are on the move should also find a seat as quickly as possible when turbulence escalates.
“If the crew are not able to get to the nearest crew seat in time, find the nearest available passenger seat and fasten the seat belt,” he said.
Listen:
Are there seats less affected by turbulence?
According to experts, where passengers are seated can affect how they feel turbulence.
Experts told CNA that the effects are less apparent in the middle of an aircraft, near the wings.
Mr Daniel, who sits on the panel of experts for the Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore), explained that these seats are “near the plane’s centre of gravity and not as prone to as much airplane pitching or pivoting”.
“The middle of an aircraft, near the wings, can be marginally less turbulent,” said Mr Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor of aviation news website FlightGlobal.
“But seat selection shouldn't have too much of an impact,” he added.
While Prof Merkert agrees that turbulence is felt less in the middle of the aircraft - essentially over the wings - what is more important than where one sits is whether the seat belt is fastened.
“Statically, the safest seats in case of a crash are the ones in the back of an aircraft,” he added.
In cases of extreme turbulence, it is best to avoid seats near the galleys, as service carts and items are mainly stored there, Mr Daniel said.
Related:
How are cabin crew trained to respond to turbulence?
There are protocols to follow for when the plane hits turbulence, said the former SIA flight stewardess.
“We have to secure ourselves, lay low, and grab onto the nearest seat. If the oxygen masks drop down, we have to grab one also and wear it first, before we can tend to the passengers,” she added.
The woman, who spent eight years as a cabin crew member, shared that there are also “stronghold points” around the cabin for them to hold onto.
“These are small little handles you see around the cabin, in the toilets and in the galleys. The passengers can use it too, but a lot of people are not aware of them. They think it’s just a hole in the wall, because sometimes it looks just like a cut-out,” she said.
“When we see passengers walking around in the cabin during the flight, we also take the opportunity to introduce them to the stronghold points, so that they learn,” she added.
The staff also receive information beforehand through onboard equipment, which can detect things like when the turbulence will hit, how strong it will be and how long it will last.
“So the pilot will inform the crew, and when the time comes, will make an announcement across the PA (public address) system telling passengers to sit down,” she said.
During turbulence, cabin service is paused depending on how severe the situation is.
“If it’s the little bumps type but still alright overall, we just don’t serve hot things like hot drinks or soup. But if it’s really bad, like moderate or above, then the captain will say suspend service,” she shared.
In those situations, the crew will have just five to 10 minutes to stow away all items in the galley, where everything is typically opened and laid out during service.
On Thursday, SIA announced that it would now suspend meal service - in addition to the existing policy of not serving hot drinks - when the seat belt sign is on, as part of a "more cautious approach" to managing turbulence in flight.
The interior of Singapore Airline flight SQ321 is pictured after an emergency landing at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand, May 21, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS/Stringer)
Even during tense moments, cabin crew still need to maintain a high quality of service, noted the former stewardess, who quit two years back. “Some of us may be very scared, but still need to pretend everything is okay, and to reassure passengers and let them know it’s fine.”
Safety training is a component of the three-and-a-half-month programme to become a member of the SIA cabin crew, where trainees learn things like first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
“We also learn what to do when we meet with emergency situations that are unique to aircraft cabins, such as when a plane has to land in the water or when we have to deploy the emergency slide,” she shared.
Cabin crew must attend a refresher annually on safety training, where they will be tested on their response to various scenarios – including turbulence.
“Based on reports from passenger accounts, the SQ crew remained professional and dedicated in helping passengers despite being injured themselves. This is reflective of the good training they have received to deal with emergency situations,” said Mr Abbas.
Continue reading...