Over the past five years, great strides have been made to improve passenger comfort at cruising altitudes. Hundreds of planes are fitted with sensors that constantly transmit turbulence information to computers on the ground, along with the plane's altitude, speed, and position. The computers then relay the information to other planes participating in the program. This allows pilots to know if there is turbulence ahead and if changing altitude can improve the ride. Airlines participating in the IATA Turbulence Aware program are ANA, Aer Lingus, Air France, Aegean Airlines, China Airlines, Delta Air Lines, easyJet, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Saudia Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Swissair, United Airlines, and WestJet.
The system works well in high traffic areas where multiple planes at different altitudes are feeding information into the system. In areas with low air traffic, the system is not useful. Since pilots cannot always see the situation ahead, passengers are instructed to keep their seat belts fastened for comfort, even when the seat belt sign is off. As it is human nature, some passengers do not comply. Normally, it is okay to not wear a seat belt. However, if there is a sudden severe turbulence, passengers who are not wearing their seat belts can be seriously injured. News reports rarely point out that the injured passengers were not wearing their seat belts, or that passengers who were wearing their seat belts were unharmed.
On May 21, 2024, Singapore Airlines flight SQ321, en route from London to Singapore, encountered unexpected severe turbulence while passing over Myanmar at 37,000 feet. Passenger Andrew Davis was not wearing his seatbelt. He fastened his seatbelt as soon as the seatbelt sign was illuminated. A press release from the Ministry of Transport of Singapore details the events that followed: As the turbulence began, the plane began to climb. After climbing for a few seconds, it suddenly reversed direction and descended.
As this reversal from up to down occurred, the G-force went from a slight positive to an abrupt negative (1.35G to -1.5G). When we are sitting still, we feel gravity; we call this 1.0 G. When we are falling, we don't feel G. The upward momentum of the ascent threw the unbelted passengers toward the ceiling at 19 mph. As the descent began, the cabin ceiling began to fall at 17 mph. The unbelted passengers struck the ceiling at a total speed of 36 mph.
For a moment, negative G-forces (-1.5G) pushed unbelted passengers against the ceiling. But when G-forces changed from negative to positive, passengers fell to the floor. “The sudden change in G-forces over a 4.6 second period was the likely cause of injury to the flight crew and passengers,” the report said. Noting that unbelted passengers were injured and belted passengers were not, Davis tweeted, “Lesson 1: Always wear your seat belt.”
How to Deal with Turbulence
Wearing a seat belt is all it takes to keep you safe. For proof, ask yourself if you've ever heard of a pilot being injured in turbulence. Pilots can't be injured in turbulence because they always wear their seat belts.
Knowing that you are physically safe during turbulence is the foundation for taking the next step of feeling mentally safe during turbulence.
- Understand that stories of passengers being injured during turbulence are not true for people who are wearing seat belts.
- There are no air pockets. Planes don't crash when they're in turbulence. Turbulence causes a plane to go from ascending to descending or vice versa very quickly. Watch this video to understand why planes don't crash.
- Sensations of excitement (e.g., increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, tension) can be experienced as fear. Fear causes us to believe that we are in danger. We need to keep in mind that (a) excitement is just excitement, (b) excitement and fear are not the same, and (c) fear does not necessarily mean danger.
- When an aircraft goes from level flight to a sudden descent, or, as in the Singapore accident, from ascending to descending, it feels like it is falling. And when you feel like you are falling, it's natural for stress hormones to be released.
- Knowing that you'll be safe no matter how violent the plane gets when it encounters turbulence helps reduce the release of stress hormones. Watching videos of planes flying into hurricanes to scout the weather should give you confidence that planes can handle any turbulence.
- We all have traumatic experiences where we have no control over what happens. So traumatic experiences make us more sensitive to things we can't control. And heightened sensitivity means more stress hormones are released when we have no control, or imagine we have no control, even when we can't escape.
- When you're in an uncontrollable, hopeless situation, your body releases increased amounts of stress hormones that you may not even realize are happening. Then suddenly you can't get into an elevator, an MRI, or an airplane. Or you can suddenly panic on a bridge, in a tunnel, or at high altitudes.
- The amygdala responds to what neuroscientists call “valence codes,” which are linked to feelings of lack of control and inescapability.
- By changing the valence codes associated with uncontrollable and inescapable situations from negative to positive, we can reprogram how our amygdala responds to these situations.
How can reprogramming be done?
Renowned neuropsychology researcher Stephen Porges has found that the positive valence codes associated with the face, voice, and touch of a friend can induce the parasympathetic nervous system to override the effects of stress hormones and produce a deep sense of peace. Porges's findings, coupled with other research on valence codes at the Salk Institute and elsewhere, offer a way to feel reassured while flying through turbulence.
To shift the valence code and feel safe in turbulence, associate the face, voice, and touch of a friend with the sensation of falling, the idea that the plane may plummet, and the fear that you may lose control if the turbulence gets worse or lasts longer.
