KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11715 posts, RR: 52 Reply 3, posted (1 year 4 months 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 12594 times:
The passenger said when the cart came back down, it fell atop a FA who got injured because of the cart. This is just another reason why I always wear my seat belt in flight.
It is also a testoment to the strenght of the B-757.
WestJet747 From Canada, joined Aug 2011, 1275 posts, RR: 7 Reply 4, posted (1 year 4 months 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 12428 times:
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 3): This is just another reason why I always wear my seat belt in flight.
The only time I ever remove my seatbelt is when I'm going to the lav or if I'm getting something out of the overhead compartment. I don't have much sympathy for people that are injured because they didn't feel like wearing their seatbelt. They suggest you always wear your seatbelt in-flight during the safety demonstration for a reason.
richierich From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 4024 posts, RR: 6 Reply 5, posted (1 year 4 months 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 12198 times:
Is this another case of clear-air turbulence? Unpredictable and it can be very severe, thankfully these types of incidents are rare but it is always a good idea to wear seatbelts at all times, unless working (which puts you in harm's way all the time) or going to the lav/stretching the legs.
What I cannot understand is that this aircraft was two hours in to the flight, the turbulence occurred with injuries to crew and passengers, and yet it continued on to MIA? Did I read that correctly? Why wouldn't it have diverted to the nearest safe airport so these persons could receive medical treatment?
BMIFlyer From UK - England, joined Feb 2004, 8810 posts, RR: 62 Reply 6, posted (1 year 4 months 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 12111 times:
Quoting richierich (Reply 5): What I cannot understand is that this aircraft was two hours in to the flight, the turbulence occurred with injuries to crew and passengers, and yet it continued on to MIA? Did I read that correctly? Why wouldn't it have diverted to the nearest safe airport so these persons could receive medical treatment?
There were 2 doctors on board, one of which was an ER doctor. I'd assume that between them they made the diagnosis that it was ok to continue to the U.S to receive treatment there.....
richierich From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 4024 posts, RR: 6 Reply 8, posted (1 year 4 months 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 12028 times:
Quoting BMIFlyer (Reply 6): There were 2 doctors on board, one of which was an ER doctor. I'd assume that between them they made the diagnosis that it was ok to continue to the U.S to receive treatment there.....
Quoting readytotaxi (Reply 7): The report says there was an ER doctor onboard, I guess he and the Captain discussed a course of action after the event maybe
No doubt you are both correct - but makes me think the "hole in the ceiling" was not very serious, probably just damage to cabin paneling... Glad I wasn't on this flight!
seabosdca From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 4277 posts, RR: 4 Reply 9, posted (1 year 4 months 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 11493 times:
Quoting richierich (Reply 5): Why wouldn't it have diverted to the nearest safe airport so these persons could receive medical treatment?
If there were no immediately life-threatening injuries, MIA may well have been the best option for medical treatment. The flight path takes you near French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, some small Caribbean islands, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. Unless I was in imminent danger, I think I'd rather make it to the U.S. (or back to Brazil) for treatment than to make an unscheduled stop in any of those places...
Most gorgeous aircraft: Tu-204-300, 757-200, A330-200, 777-200LR, 787-8
richierich From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 4024 posts, RR: 6 Reply 10, posted (1 year 4 months 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 11210 times:
Quoting seabosdca (Reply 9): If there were no immediately life-threatening injuries, MIA may well have been the best option for medical treatment. The flight path takes you near French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, some small Caribbean islands, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. Unless I was in imminent danger, I think I'd rather make it to the U.S. (or back to Brazil) for treatment than to make an unscheduled stop in any of those places...
SXM has a medical college - I see advertisements for it on the NYC Subway all the time!
I suspect you are all right though. If it was truly life-threatening, then the flight would have diverted and the injured off-loaded and it is as simple as that. I guess the aircraft damage wasn't deemed worthy of diverting either.
flymia From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 6298 posts, RR: 6 Reply 11, posted (1 year 4 months 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 10809 times:
Quoting richierich (Reply 5): What I cannot understand is that this aircraft was two hours in to the flight, the turbulence occurred with injuries to crew and passengers, and yet it continued on to MIA? Did I read that correctly? Why wouldn't it have diverted to the nearest safe airport so these persons could receive medical treatment?
Quoting richierich (Reply 10): SXM has a medical college - I see advertisements for it on the NYC Subway all the time!
With doctors on the aircraft, and given the planes location with 2 hours to go it was probably the best move. Unless it is a serious emergency that needs immediate medical attention I am sure everyone from the pilots, doctors, airline and the injured passengers and crew would prefer to go to Miami instead of an island in the Caribbean. A diversion would have mode it more difficult and costly and time consuming for everyone. Some of the injuries were treated at the airport, does not seem like anything would be very serious thankfully. I would rather have my broken arm taken care of back in the US or at least a place which is the destination of the flight making the whole process much easier.
I am sure if anyone had some serious injuries or symptoms of head trauma etc.. They would have diverted to a the nearest sufficient airport/country.
"It was just four of us on the flight deck, trying to do our job" (Captain Al Haynes)
okie From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 2378 posts, RR: 3 Reply 12, posted (1 year 4 months 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 10060 times:
Quoting TK787 (Reply 1): Wow, I have heard in the past those carts bouncing around but hitting the ceiling??
Here is a clue, the cart did not hit the plane, the plane hit the cart.
Quoting flymia (Reply 11): I am sure if anyone had some serious injuries or symptoms of head trauma etc.. They would have diverted to a the nearest sufficient airport/country.
Quoting WestJet747 (Reply 4): The only time I ever remove my seatbelt is when I'm going to the lav or if I'm getting something out of the overhead compartment. I don't have much sympathy for people that are injured because they didn't feel like wearing their seatbelt. They suggest you always wear your seatbelt in-flight during the safety demonstration for a reason.
Wearing a seat belt makes you part of the safety system designed into the seat good for 16g's these days I believe.
Just do not order anything to eat that you can not wear in case of in flight turbulence. Guacamole comes to mind
tan flyr From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 1847 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (1 year 4 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 9209 times:
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 3): It is also a testament to the strenght of the B-757.
Yup..for sure on that KC 135...in over 40 years of jet travel the worst clear air turbulence was on an AA 757 from Lima to MIA, or Ecuador in December of 1990. All kinds of stuff slammed around also.
The 757 is a tough bird, not quite to DC standards, but darn close.
par13del From Bahamas, joined Dec 2005, 5902 posts, RR: 8 Reply 15, posted (1 year 4 months 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 8283 times:
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 3): The passenger said when the cart came back down, it fell atop a FA who got injured because of the cart.
A safety question, there are emergency lights in the floor of the plane, how about having a sunken track in the floor for the carts, usually the aisles are just large enough for the cart. The track could ensure that the carts stay grounded and do not even fall over.
don0245 From United States of America, joined Oct 2005, 15 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (1 year 4 months 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 8173 times:
I have always worn my seatbelt and I have been flying since 1962 and had many in flight BURPS! Err on the side of caution always and have never had a problem. My first flight was on a TWA frm PIT to Ord, then BN from ORD to SAT 1962. That converted me to flying. Have flown on Super Connies, CV440's, CV580's (My favorite), DC9-15 TWA(with 2 passengers EWR-MDT), DC-9-30/40/50/80/90, DC8's (awesome acft,), Boeing 720, 707, 747, 727, 737, 757, 767 (my favorite) 747, AB320, AB300 and Lockheed Electras which were awesome. Love B6 and UA, a little turbulence makes my flight.
okie From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 2378 posts, RR: 3 Reply 17, posted (1 year 4 months 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 5994 times:
Quoting par13del (Reply 15): A safety question, there are emergency lights in the floor of the plane, how about having a sunken track in the floor for the carts, usually the aisles are just large enough for the cart. The track could ensure that the carts stay grounded and do not even fall over.
Good call but generally most turbulence events are predicted and cabin service is suspended, however you still are not dealing with the F/A's exposure. Broken/Sprained ankles and torn ligaments are probably the major cause of injuries to F/A's due to the abrupt g forces imposed from turbulence trolley or no trolley.
That could most definetly work. But based on the chances of serious injury from the carts from completely unexpected turbulence it is not worth the cost at all for the airlines in the added weight. Remebr just taking off newspapers on an airliners can save millions of dollars in fuel in the long run.
"It was just four of us on the flight deck, trying to do our job" (Captain Al Haynes)
AR385 From Mexico, joined Nov 2003, 4850 posts, RR: 27 Reply 19, posted (1 year 4 months 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 5266 times:
The info. that I have is that it was actually the FA pushing the cart that caused the hole in the ceiling, not the cart. That FA was lucky no to to have broken her neck, in my opinion.
Now the flight actually continued to MIA for 6 more hrs. so I concurr that the injuries must not have been serious because there were a number of airports in the Brazilian NorthEast that the plane could have diverted to with suitable emergency medical services, such as Fortaleza, Belen, Natal, etc.
I am not that callous, though, as to say that the service on the plane would have suiffered but if you have 6 FAs as on these flight and 3 are injured enough as to have needed to be taken to a hospital upon arrival at MIA, then how are you still legal to fly, given FAs/passenger requirements for emergencies? I´m not familiar with the regulations that´s why I ask.
I remember a flight I was on in Northern Canada. I was a crew man for a small airline working on the Hawker HS 748. I had my lunchbox on my lap while in the Jump seat. We hit clear air turbulence so bad, my lunchbox flew up and hit me in the head, totally knocking me out.
I couldn't believe something as small as a lunchbox could do that, but it happened. From that point on, I made sure i used a paper bag for my lunches
Kidding aside, I hope the crew were alright and wish a speedy recovery. Every object becomes dangerous in these situations. Hence the reason why we used so many cargo straps on our cargo. Etc.
Let's just say we all had a chuckle after a bag of ice and some aspirin
hamad From United Arab Emirates, joined Apr 2000, 1157 posts, RR: 7 Reply 22, posted (1 year 4 months 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 2697 times:
Quoting TK787 (Reply 1): Wow, I have heard in the past those carts bouncing around but hitting the ceiling??
They do! i experienced that kind of turbelance, and its not pretty at all.
Quoting standby87 (Reply 2): Yep, it's happened before and will happen again. Those carts are not light...
Absolutely!! especially those ones that are full of crockery and china...
A lot of people tend to forget when they get on the airplane that they are not on the ground anymore, and that they are way up there. Any thing can happen.
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The only time I ever remove my seatbelt is when I'm going to the lav or if I'm getting something out of the overhead compartment. I don't have much sympathy for people that are injured because they didn't feel like wearing their seatbelt. They suggest you always wear your seatbelt in-flight during the safety demonstration for a reason.
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