Worst turbulence experienced

[Thedude]

I penetraded a line of thunderstorms once and it beat the hell outta me. Got hut in the head with the hand mike...hit my head on the cealing and i had the shoulder harnness on...the apple I had in my cooler became a projectile and i was holding on for dear life at that point. I can say I have been to the purple and lived to talk about it and will never do that again.....Glad the ole' San Antiono Sewer Pipe is built like a tank.

 

[HMR]

I've heard that some of the worst turbulence around is caused by the Appalachians. Kinda surprising considering how much larger the Rockies and Sierras are.

I think you hear that mostly from guys who've never flown around the Rockies or Sierras.

 

[MissKittyKat]

Thanks, nice thread and good banter! I have been in many situations where turbulence is not your friend. Some of those trips were Atlantic crossings, and not fun by no means. I actually have been injured in turbulence, I was a non-rev, go figure! I was just coming out of the bathroom in a 737, and BOOM! it hit, it was clear and sunny. I was bleeding out of the top of my head. Because somehow my head hit the ceiling of the plane.
The crew was wonderful, when we landed in Iad, they gave me ice packs and everything, and then asked if I wanted to join up with them!

It just happens, turbulence sucks at times, I could see how it could be scary at times.

 

[pilothouston123]

Hit headliner of bonaza. Thunderstorm, alone no auto pilot, at night full of checks. came to, hey thats an altimeter, it's important, not sure why. Hey thats an attitude indicator, also important, but not sure why.

Click mike.... is there an airport around here? ATC: Who needs an airport?
361BC does. I am not going to turn though. ATC: OK two miles and you are through it. I rememebered that I was going more that 2 miles a minute. be out in less than a minute.

POOF! The lights of houston never looked so good.

 

[Pyle It]

Hey Ill mitch, was your turb on monday in Socal???? My worst ever was also on Monday over Gorman VOR @ 4:30am heading into BUR. Flight bag was between seats and I, came up hit dash, then ladder behind me (BE-99) then upside down on floor it lands. Good Fun :beer:
Be Safe

 

[HMR]

Hey Ill mitch, was your turb on monday in Socal???? My worst ever was also on Monday over Gorman VOR @ 4:30am heading into BUR.

GMN and FIM can get pretty wild when a front moves through.

 

[Ill Mitch]

Hey Ill mitch, was your turb on monday in Socal???? My worst ever was also on Monday over Gorman VOR @ 4:30am heading into BUR. Flight bag was between seats and I, came up hit dash, then ladder behind me (BE-99) then upside down on floor it lands. Good Fun :beer:
Be Safe

It was up in NorCal, just south of the SF Bay Area.
I have been hit pretty hard over Gorman as well. Yeah, baby!

 

[Wanda Nevada]

After reading the article yesterday about a FA yelling "We're all gonna die..." during some severe turbulence, I started thinking...

Whats the worst turbulence you have ever experienced? I've flown in 40kt gusty conditions, which I guess would be categorized as moderate turb. Never had the plane roll on me, wondering if thats even possible.

we're all gonna die? obviously she didnt pay attention during her training , about how to keep control during turbulence. if i had yelled out that phrase, i would have been written up by our purser !!! turbulence, that is routine turbulence doesnt bother me, they go along with flying, and being an FA.

BUT!!!!! and this is a big but, CAT definitely can be intimidating! lol!

hit severe turbulence going from LAX to HNL, over the pacific. we were serving refreshments and lunch when they hit. fortunately none of us were seriously hurt, but i had a huge bruise on my knee cap from hitting the trolley
with it. talk about PAIN!!! but it healed nicely and i was back at work in no time. also flying over the grand canyon about a year ago, hit some nasties, and one of the pax had a mild heart attack. he survived, thank God.

all in all turbulence are just something we who fly have to live with when we are working.

 

[Lead Sled]

Prior to the experience that HMR mentioned, my personal "best" (worst?) was in a KA 200 letting down into SLC. It was just after the Australian KA lost a wing in turbulence and our airplane didn't have the strap. I was half-way expecting the "Wing In Transit" light to illuminate.

'Sled

 

[Groundpounder]

Last year near KBOS on a beautiful, clear day, LeadSled and I heard a 747 crew reporting severe turbulence ahead of us @ ~FL200. A few minutes later, we lost 75kts of airspeed and were looking at the ground through the windscreen, 40+degrees off course. Before we recovered, the left and right "OIL PRESS" lights illuminated followed by the oil pressure needles dropping to zero (the oil pumps unported from negative G's). Good times! Fortunately, no pax were onboard.

Is there any way you could have avoided that? How does turbulence enter into flight planning? (assuming you know about it beforehand)