Have you ever wondered what causes turbulence on your flight or how the pilots keep you safe? FOX Weather went to the United Airlines Training Facility to find out.
PHOENIX — An Alaska Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence during a flight into Phoenix during the busy holiday travel week, leaving multiple crew members and a passenger injured, according to an airline spokesperson.
Flight 700 had left Seattle just before noon PT Thursday and was about an hour and 45 minutes into its 2.5-hour flight when the severe turbulence hit. Flight tracking data from FlightAware.com showed the Boeing 737 MAX 9 recorded a drop of just over 200 feet in 30 seconds.
HERE’S WHAT CAUSES TURBULENCE AND WHY YOU SHOULDN’T BE AFRAID OF IT
The plane landed safely in Phoenix at 3:10 p.m. MT (2:10 p.m. PT) and “several crew members and one guest received medical attention,” according to the Alaska spokesperson. The airline did not provide any additional information on the injuries, citing privacy.
GOES-18 Satellite image showing conditions over the West on Dec. 26, 2024.
(NOAA)
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 passengers violently against seat belts and unsecured objects are tossed around.
The airline didn’t provide any details about what might have triggered the turbulence. FlightAware.com reports the incident occurred as the plane was at around 33,000 feet just passing near Las Vegas, which was reporting cloud ceilings at 16,000 and 25,000 feet but otherwise calm weather.
“We apologize for any concern this experience may have caused our guests,” the spokesperson continued. “We are appreciative of our dedicated crew for their skill and professionalism in responding to this situation, and are supporting them as they seek additional medical attention.”