What is it like flying a plane through turbulence?

It was a frightening experience for passengers on flight SQ321 from London to Singapore when the plane was hit by severe turbulence.

Geoff Kitchen, a 73-year-old British man, died of a suspected heart attack and dozens of others were injured.

Turbulence occurs when a plane hits an air current and causes it to roll, pitch, or suddenly drop. Turbulence is said to be becoming more common. due to climate change.

Pilots told the BBC that events of this type of severe turbulence are extremely rare, and explained what they would do and react in the event of a collision.

Captain Chris Hammond, a former pilot with 43 years of experience, told the BBC that if an aircraft hits turbulence, pilots are strapped into a full harness and “have to come up with an announcement that doesn't upset the passengers too much”.

“If you know it's coming, you can take it easy. But if it's clear air turbulence, you're just crossing your fingers,” he said.

“Clear air” turbulence, as the name suggests, is cloudless and invisible, which makes it even more problematic as it is very difficult to detect.

Former airline captain Emma Henderson explained that pilots are usually warned or can spot the signs that there is turbulence ahead.

She said it was “arguably much more likely” that the pilot had received little warning in the case of the flight from London to Singapore.

“It's not so much because it's over the ocean, but rather because there aren't many planes flying around it.

“So, for example, if you're flying in crowded European airspace and there's turbulence, the pilots will talk to each other,” she explained.

“When you're flying in an area where there are few other aircraft around, that information isn't available, so something like this can happen without warning.”

Captain Henderson noted that the seatbelt signs had just been switched on, so there should have been some indication that turbulence was approaching.

She doesn't think she would have had a chance to give a bigger warning.

Captains Henderson and Hammond emphasized that severe turbulence is a rare occurrence.

Captain Hammond, a member of the British Airline Pilots' Association, said he wasn't afraid of turbulence, but admitted he did feel some anxiety early in his career.

He previously wondered, “How much can the plane withstand?” but now he knows exactly how much impact the plane can withstand, adding, “The wings should flap up and down.”

Captain Hammond said the route the Singapore Airlines plane took was typically not any more challenging than other planes.

“It was daylight, and as far as I know it was mid-afternoon, so it was the time of day when you would expect clouds to form the most, but they were very easily visible on radar.

“If you see a thunderstorm in front of you, go around it. Under no circumstances should you drive through it,” he told BBC's The World Tonight.

“If we can't actually avoid it completely, we'll take precautions.”

Turbulence injuries are rare but can be serious and potentially fatal.

“Across millions of flights, injuries from severe turbulence are relatively rare. However, severe turbulence can have dramatic effects and lead to serious injury and, sadly, as in this case, death,” aviation expert John Strickland told the BBC's World at One.

He stressed that the aircraft is built to “withstand severe turbulence” and that all crew members on board are trained on how they need to respond to turbulence.

“Weather reports and radar are used to avoid known turbulence, but it can sometimes be unpredictable,” Strickland said.

The expert added that some parts of the world are “prone to turbulence”.

He said based on his knowledge, flying over the South Atlantic, Africa and the Bay of Bengal may be more prone to turbulence.

“It's not without reason that airlines recommend keeping seatbelts loosely fastened on both long and short flights,” Strickland said.

Seat belts are the most important safety measure for both pilots.

Capt. Hammond also stressed the importance of the pre-flight safety briefing.

“Listen carefully. If the flight attendant speaks to you in a slightly higher pitched voice, do what they say,” he added.

“Real aircraft can withstand pretty extreme forces,” said Captain Henderson.

“It should be a real relief for everyone. The aircraft was very sturdy and the pilot landed safely. That was the ultimate outcome of this flight.”

“The most important thing is seat belts,” Henderson said, and he said they do help.