Has a plane ever flown into a tornado?

Yes. In 1981, in the Netherlands, CityHopper flight 431 was caught in a tornado. The downdraft and then quick updraft created G loads far too intense for the designed limits. The starboard wing was ripped from the plane resulting in a midair explosion.



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Also, the wings would make the 747 more aerodynamic than the dead weight of a locomotive. So theoretically it would be possible for a 747 to be picked up by a strong tornado.

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What happens when en route flights encounter thunderstorms? Jet aircraft can safely fly over thunderstorms only if their flight altitude is well above the turbulent cloud tops. The most intense and turbulent storms are often the tallest storms, so en route flights always seek to go around them.

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While modern aircraft are capable of flying over, or even through, hurricanes, safety risks remain, and carriers usually halt operations are the affected airports instead.

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The maximum height that a commercial airplane is allowed to reach when they fly is 42,000 feet, as this is the universally approved maximum altitude. This max altitude for airplanes is known as the “service ceiling.” Most commercial air jets fly at such a high altitude because it is known to optimize efficiency.

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