What happens when a plane hits severe turbulence?

Severe turbulence causes large and abrupt changes in altitude and/or attitude and, usually, large variations in indicated airspeed. The airplane may momentarily be out of control. Occupants of the airplane will be forced violently against their seat belts.



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“Planes are built to withstand very, very way worse. It's not fun, evidently, but completely fine.” During the flight, Jimmy reassured viewers that when turbulence hits, the “plane isn't going to fall out of the sky.”

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For nervous flyers, turbulence can be frightening, especially when it's severe. Some might even think that these strong forces would be enough to break the aircraft. In reality, airplanes, especially large airliners, are built with enough strength to withstand almost all naturally occurring turbulence.

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You might be wondering, is turbulence strong enough to cause a plane to crash? The answer is: it's extremely rare. Modern aircraft are designed to withstand turbulence and continue flying safely. In fact, planes undergo rigorous testing to ensure they can endure the forces of turbulence.

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Turbulence is a sudden and sometimes violent shift in airflow. Those irregular motions in the atmosphere create air currents that can cause passengers on an airplane to experience annoying bumps during a flight, or it can be severe enough to throw an airplane out of control. (The pilots) aren't scared at all.

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Pilots are capable of identifying areas of potential turbulence by using their knowledge of meteorology and weather patterns. One of the simplest ways we avoid turbulence is by avoiding areas with thunderstorms. Convective activity is associated with unstable air, as well as strong updrafts and downdrafts.

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When an aircraft experiences turbulence, the plane can drop or change altitude suddenly. This is why pilots always caution passengers to buckle up and stay seated when they are experiencing flight turbulence. The sudden movements put passengers at risk.

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At times like this, pilots will slow to a designated “turbulence penetration speed” to ensure high-speed buffet protection (don't ask) and prevent damage to the airframe. We can also request higher or lower altitudes, or ask for a revised routing.

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As the wings of the aircraft pass through pockets of air of differing density or pressure, the amount of lift generated by the wings changes. For a short time, the lift of the wings is less than the weight of the plane and it drops slightly. This is usually not dangerous to the Aircraft.

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DENVER (CBS4) – Colorado and the Rocky Mountains are among the worst areas for turbulence in the United States. It's a problem that injures dozens of passengers and crew members nationwide every year.

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From a practical point, no, a modern airliner will not lose a wing due to turbulence. Modern airlines are very tough and designed to withstand extreme turbulence. In theory, it might be possible. But to my knowledge, it has not happened to any jet airliner.

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We humans are much more sensitive to the rate of change, how fast you are going up or down, than the depth of the dip. Turbulence can very rarely cause a change of up to 100 metres, but it is almost always less than 30m.

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While pilots can't actually see turbulence, they often know what is coming up, thanks to reports from other planes, weather reports, and radar equipment. However, clear air turbulence (severe turbulence occurring in cloudless areas) can sometimes catch pilots off guard.

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A poll taken on A Fly Guy's Cabin Crew Lounge, the largest network of airline staff on social media, revealed that most airline crew not only like turbulence, but they also enjoy it! That's a comforting thought to think about the next time you're worried when your plane starts shaking. '

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Routes with the Most Turbulence
  • New York to London.
  • Seoul to Dallas.
  • Flying into certain airports near the equator. There are certain airports which are located close to the equator which means frequent thunderstorms, especially in certain seasons. ...
  • Flying into Reno, Nevada. ...
  • London to South Africa.


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Winter has strong winds and blizzards, and summer's hot heat can create unstable air, thunderstorms, and tropical storms. That means flying during the holidays often means more turbulence than other times of the year. So if possible, avoid flying between December and February or June and August for a smoother flight.

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In some cases, such as the “Miracle on the Hudson”, the aircraft is ditched without major damage and it may actually float for some time. Eventually, all of them will sink. A “crash” implies an uncontrolled landing in which the aircraft is significantly damaged and will quickly sink.

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Night flying restrictions or night-time curfews, including night flight bans, are any regulations or legislation imposed by a governing body to limit the ground-perceived exposure to aircraft noise pollution during the night hours, when the majority of residents are trying to sleep.

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With this in mind, horizontal winds (also known as “crosswinds”) in excess of 30-35 kts (about 34-40 mph) are generally prohibitive of take-off and landing. As far as how this happens, it depends on where you are in flight.

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The bigger the plane, the better! Any plane can experience turbulence, but larger planes weigh more and don't feel the impact of wind changes as much as a smaller plane. Specifically, the Airbus A380 handles turbulence very well! The A380 is a large plane mainly used for international flights.

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At flight cruising levels, only about 3% of the atmosphere has light turbulence, about 1% has moderate turbulence and a few tenths of a percent has severe turbulence at any given time, says Paul Williams, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading who researches turbulence.

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