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?
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In short, the wings of an airplane float over the air just like a boat over water. Turbulence is a disruption of this air. Think of it like large rogue waves in the ocean that can capsize a ship. It can cause a plane to drop dramatic altitude and shake.
It’s very scary to some people, but the odds of crashing are lower than getting into a car accident. Once the plane flies out of the turbulence, the air will stabilize and the wings will regain its lift. You’re safe.
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