MH1 severe turbulence

[marki]

The only serious turbulence I've experienced, hands on the outside of luggage bins just wouldn't have cut it.

Same here when flying over the Atlantic couple of years back

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at this comment. Cabin crew experience has nothing to do with the ability of the aircraft to throw them around.

A little old lady might have difficulty steadying herself with the slightest bumps and turbulence. Cabin crew would not have the same issue.

Qantas may has policy with regards to the use of the seat belt sign and the circumstances it is used, but this is not necessarily copied by the majority of other airlines. While it is fairly uncommon for a QF seat belt sign to be on during flight, it is fairly common on most other carriers.

On most airlines cabin crew are not restricted (unless specifically told to take their seats). Normal service continues save for the suspension of hot beverages.

 

[mannej]

A little old lady might have difficulty steadying herself with the slightest bumps and turbulence. Cabin crew would not have the same issue.

Qantas may has policy with regards to the use of the seat belt sign and the circumstances it is used, but this is not necessarily copied by the majority of other airlines. While it is fairly uncommon for a QF seat belt sign to be on during flight, it is fairly common on most other carriers.

On most airlines cabin crew are not restricted (unless specifically told to take their seats). Normal service continues save for the suspension of hot beverages.

I think this misses the point that JB is making. A quick search on Avherald shows you that the occurrence of turbulence related injuries for Cabin crew is not entirely rare.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I think this misses the point that JB is making. A quick search on Avherald shows you that the occurrence of turbulence related injuries for Cabin crew is not entirely rare.

Qantas has a single stage process... sign comes on, everyone is seated.

other airlines have it in two stages... sign comes on and pax are seated, message from flight deck and crew are seated.

Neither policy is perfect, both have their flaws.

 

[astrosly]

<snip>

Whatis the procedure if a cabin crew is too far from their jump seat when a immediate sit down/seatbelt is commanded from the flight deck?

One QF flight from SYD to ARM a while ago we had the call from the deck "crew take your seats". One of the cabin crew was in the aisle ... the Dash8s have only 9/12 rows so it is just a few steps to get to the jump seat and buckle up which is what I expected him to do but the fellow instead immediately sat down in the nearest empty seat in the aisle. We had a bit of a laugh on how quick he got ar$e on seat and it was bumpy If there was no spare seat I guess he would have had to leg it to the jump seat quicksmart.

 

[Quickstatus]

It's the rare breed that can truely learn from someone else's experience.

As far as this goes in relation to cabin crew walking around while the seat belt signs are on, if they had the experience of severe turbulence, they wouldn't.

buts that's the point, how do they know in advance whether it going to be severe or not?. Even the pilots don't really Know.

 

[marki]

buts that's the point, how do they know in advance whether it going to be severe or not?. Even the pilots don't really Know.

Guesswork I guess

 

[JohnK]

I never quite understand why people do not have their seat belts on whilst seated. Uncomfortable? It will never happen to me?

 

[Boris spatsky]

I never quite understand why people do not have their seat belts on whilst seated. Uncomfortable? It will never happen to me?

Nor why people stand up before the seatbelt sign is turned off on the ground - what's the rush?

 

[JessicaTam]

I never quite understand why people do not have their seat belts on whilst seated. Uncomfortable? It will never happen to me?

Or those who think it ok to undo them as soon as the aircraft is off the runway and taxiing. Do they take them off in their cars before they get home.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Nor why people stand up before the seatbelt sign is turned off on the ground - what's the rush?

because people have been sitting in cramped conditions with seats closer together than ever before and narrower than ever before. There are frequent delays and service can be minimal. Some people have short connections. Information can often be limited - while pilots may know what's going on and can see what's going on - most passengers can't and the lack of information can be frustrating: once you think you have arrived you want to get on your way.

It's very easy for status passengers sitting at bulkheads with a shadow, or those sitting in premium cabins to wonder what all the fuss is about. For people in a middle seat in row 55 it is also understandable they want to get up, stretch, and be out.

Airlines could recognise this and manage expectations accordingly.

 

[russ]

Or those who think it ok to undo them as soon as the aircraft is off the runway and taxiing. Do they take them off in their cars before they get home.

People don't wear seatbelts in the bus or train, in fact they are often standing up. High speed trains go much faster than an aircraft taxiing, and they usually don't have seatbelts. I would have thought the risk of injury in a bus or train is higher than that of an aircraft taxiing, but I've got no data to support that.

 

[jb747]

People don't wear seatbelts in the bus or train, in fact they are often standing up. High speed trains go much faster than an aircraft taxiing, and they usually don't have seatbelts. I would have thought the risk of injury in a bus or train is higher than that of an aircraft taxiing, but I've got no data to support that.

High speed trains are more the equivalent of the aircraft in cruise. No tight radius turns. No abrupt braking. No cars and buses crossing in front of you from random angles. Also, you aren't at some distance from the centre of any turn...moment arm comes into it, especially at the rear.

I expect you've never experienced the brakes being floored at low speeds. You won't forget it. And whilst I've only had a couple of occasions to stop that rapidly over my career, looking at the skid marks on taxiways would seem to indicate that it isn't all that uncommon.

 

[Boris spatsky]

because people have been sitting in cramped conditions with seats closer together than ever before and narrower than ever before. There are frequent delays and service can be minimal. Some people have short connections. Information can often be limited - while pilots may know what's going on and can see what's going on - most passengers can't and the lack of information can be frustrating: once you think you have arrived you want to get on your way.

Airlines could recognise this and manage expectations accordingly.

It is all irrelevant when the aerobridge or stairs takes a good 3 minutes to connect before we can open the doors.

I would suggest that if people don't want to adhere to the (CASA) safety requirements, then they shouldn't be flying at all. If you smoke in a hotel room then you are charged a fee for non-compliance; why is it any different here?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It is all irrelevant when the aerobridge or stairs takes a good 3 minutes to connect before we can open the doors.

I would suggest that if people don't want to adhere to the (CASA) safety requirements, then they shouldn't be flying at all. If you smoke in a hotel room then you are charged a fee for non-compliance; why is it any different here?

Not all passengers know that it's going to take three minutes to open the doors. Not all passengers are frequent flyers. There are cases where passengers have tight connections and want to be in the aisle first so they can be at the front of the cabin to be among the first to disembark. There are others who might have been sitting for 16 hours in a middle seat in economy and just want to be standing up their way.

Yes sudden braking can happen. But education rather than financial penalty is probably the key. I doubt airlines would start pushing for fees for non compliance unless there was a financial incentive for them to do so.

 

[JohnK]

Nor why people stand up before the seatbelt sign is turned off on the ground - what's the rush?

Some people want to get off quickly?

I want to be one of the first out into the aisle. I don't want to be sitting while people are standing in the aisle. I do wait for everyone in rows in front to get out before I get out. Almost always the person in the window seat has 3 bags in different overhead bins and cannot remember where.

When I get back to BNE I'd like to spend 10-15 minutes in lounge before luggage comes out and waiting for train. I'll have some dinner if food ok and a diet coke. The further back in the cabin and the longer it takes to get out.

Going off topic now.

 

[dajop]

Nor why people stand up before the seatbelt sign is turned off on the ground - what's the rush?

Just psychological. I often ponder when people stand up immediately after landing - before even reaching taxiway - (eg. in China) where on earth they plan to go It seems often that people do want to be first ..... off the plane . Countless times have been pushed and shoved by people who get in front of me to get off the plane before me, only to be stuck behind them dawdling up the airbridge.


But in reality it makes no difference. Even sitting in Row 1, standing up before the seatbelt sign is turned off will no help people get off the plane any earlier.

 

[Conrad_S]

Or those who think it ok to undo them as soon as the aircraft is off the runway and taxiing. Do they take them off in their cars before they get home.

I've been on a Dash 8 that emergency stopped while taxiing to avoid t boning a catering truck. It was amazing how quickly it came to a stop. Even seated with a seatbelt on the motion of passengers was uncontrolled and quite violent. I imagine if you were standing in the aisle you would have had your forward motion arrested by the coughpit door.

 

[marki]

I've been on a Dash 8 that emergency stopped while taxiing to avoid t boning a catering truck. It was amazing how quickly it came to a stop. Even seated with a seatbelt on the motion of passengers was uncontrolled and quite violent. I imagine if you were standing in the aisle you would have had your forward motion arrested by the coughpit door.

Avoiding a Kangaroo Meekatharra at night same no seat belts would have kissed the coughpit door handle!

 

[24601]

Nor why people stand up before the seatbelt sign is turned off on the ground - what's the rush?

In Australia people rush to stand up but still nearly always then stop and wait until everyone in rows in front of them has left. Maybe it is about taking back control of our own lives after the tight controls enforced during air travel.

I always feel pressure, if in an aisle seat, to stand and get my stuff organised ASAP so as not to delay other people.