Clear Air Turbulence Rousts Passengers From Their Seats

If you're an occasional airline passenger, you may be annoyed when the captain tells you to keep the seatbelt buckled anytime you're in your seat. If you're a flight attendant or frequent flier, you know what turbulence can do.

The Melbourne Herald Sun reports that many of the 303 passengers and 10 crew aboard a Qantas A330 were enjoying a relaxing flight at 30,000 feet over Western Australia, moving around the cabin, or seated but not wearing seatbelts... when the plane suddenly rose, then dropped 350 feet.

Dozens of passengers were thrown from their seats. 20 passengers were injured, and 10 were airlifted to hospitals with spinal injuries, broken bones and severe cuts. Most of the injuries were reportedly sustained by passengers and crew near the rear of the plane.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau says the pilot of the flight, which was in the final hour of a trip from Singapore to Perth, diverted immediately to Learmonth. An investigation is underway.

Captain Ian Woods, the head of the Australian International Air Pilots Association, told the paper something frequent fliers know.

"Any time an aircraft hits clear air or is at the end of a thunderstorm, an aircraft can pitch upwards and drop unexpectedly. But these things do happen quite regularly without serious consequences."

Especially when you're wearing the seatbelt.

FMI: www.qantas.com, www.atsb.gov.au