Second Turbulence Incident In Region Sunday

If you think flight attendants have an easy job, consider this... they're often standing when a plane hits unexpected turbulence, instead of being safely buckled into a seat.

Four flight attendants onboard an Air Canada flight Sunday night have the bruises to prove what can happen next.

The Associated Press reports the Boeing 767 was about an hour out of Shanghai, bound for Vancouver, when it hit turbulence.

The nature of the injuries to four of the flight's 11 flight attendants was not released, but the plane made an emergency landing at Tokyo's Narita International Airport as a precaution. None of the 186 passengers onboard were injured.

The incident involving Air Canada Flight 38 came hours after a similar incident involving a JAL Boeing 777 bound for Tokyo. Flight 1348, with 373 passengers and 11 crew, hit clear air turbulence as it reached cruising altitude Sunday near Itami City.

One flight attendant and one passenger were injured in the encounter, which happened about a half hour in to what had been a smooth flight from Kobe. The seatbelt signs had been turned off, according to JAL spokesman Kenji Okuyama.

The injured passenger had just gotten out of his seat, Okuyama added, when the plane hit turbulence and lost altitude. He suffered a cut to his forehead.

FMI: www.fearless-flight.com/flight-safety/air-turbulence.php