Bangkok hospital says most seriously injured from turbulence-hit flight need spinal operations

There is NOTHING airlines nor the aircraft manufacturers can do to make people sit and keep their seat belts buckled, time and time again people are advised even as we read this article to buckle up but many don't for whatever nonsense excuse they have, reminds me of the mask drama during the pandemic.

There is more that airlines could do.

Although its obvious to interested in aviation, most people don't really understand why they should keep their seatbelt on when the seatbelt sign is turned off.

In their safety videos, they could show a clip of the plane hitting unexpected turbulence and passengers without seatbelts fastened getting flung against the ceiling and being seriously injured - or hitting other passengers and injuring them.

But that would make people scared right as the plane is departing and nervous flyers might try and get off - causing delays. So they don't.

They're kind of trapped into a situation where they want to down-play the risks (which are still very small), but by doing so, don't educate passengers.

Most people's experience with turbulence is that it starts small and gets worse, often well after the seatbelt sign was activated, so they assume they'll have time to fasten their seatbelts if turbulence starts.

Most people have never heard of clear air turbulence, where the plane suddenly drops thousands of feet, causing unsecured items to hit the ceiling and then crash down onto seats and armrests causing serious injury or death.

Airlines should inform passengers why seatbelts should be fastened, except when going to the toilet or retrieving items from the overhead bins, regardless of the seatbelt sign.

Many decades ago on a flight from Zurich to Genoa the small prop passengr plane I was on dropped altitude suddenly due to turbulence over the Alps. I watched my orange juice lift out of my cup in a pillar and arch over to the seats across the aisle. It looked like what one would imagine in a CG scene in a movie. The juice landed on another passenger. He was furious but there was nothing I could do other than say I'm sorry it was out of my control. Ever since that nar heart stopping incident, I always fly with my seat belts on. Take them off only to go to the lavatory.

@WoodyLee People do keep their seat belts fastened when sitting but there are always some passengers who are taking a bio-break or in-line for a bio-break who do not have seat belts fastened for obvious reasons.

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@WoodyLee People do keep their seat belts fastened when sitting but there are always some passengers who are taking a bio-break or in-line for a bio-break who do not have seat belts fastened for obvious reasons.

Naturally, there are a few passengers (and crew) who are up and about for various reasons, but surely you're not suggesting that that would account for over a hundred people injured in this mishap? I think it's safe to assume that most were injured because they simply didn't bother to buckle up and paid the price.

proxyMay 23  11:29 pm JST

@WoodyLee People do keep their seat belts fastened when sitting but there are always some passengers who are taking a bio-break or in-line for a bio-break who do not have seat belts fastened for obvious reasons.

have you ever been on an airplane?

thats a lot of people lining up for the bathroom.

i can’t remember being on a flight where the flight crew doesn’t ask passengers to keep their seatbelt fastened during their pre-flight announcement.

@Peter Neil & @USNinJapan2

Most of the injuries were minor and probably caused by flying objects causing abrasions on people who were seated with belts fastened. There is no indication one way or another that the 100 people injured were not seated. Probably struck by flying laptops etc.

The unfortunate folks with spinal injuries were probably people in/going to/going from washrooms.

The unfortunate folks with spinal injuries were probably people in/going to/going from washrooms.

Wrong

@Entuojo

How so? Australian ABC news reports that crew and people inside the toilets were hurt the most with spinal and head injuries.