[ELI5] Do planes actually ‘fall’ thousands of feet during severe turbulence? Why and how does this happen?

Question

In December of 2022, Flight UA1722 from Maui to San Francisco was reported by media to have plunged half of its altitude in a matter of seconds due to severe turbulence. Just last week, a Lufthansa flight from Austin, TX to Germany reportedly fell thousands of feet, sending seven people to the hospital for injuries after an emergency landing.

Is this just sensationalized reporting by the media, or do commercial jets actually plummet from the sky and recover just before crashing? Why and how does this happen?

In: 12

Answer 1

I would take this opportunity to remind people to stay buckled in THROUGHOUT the flight, unless they are going to the toilet, because this can happen at any time.