If you’ve ever flown on a commercial airline before, you’re aware of all the safety regulations put into place to protect the passengers. Before the plane takes off, the flight attendants go through the motions of explaining the emergency exits, how to fasten the seatbelt, and the importance of the seatbelt sign. For many of us, who’ve been on a few trips requiring air travel, this important bit of information is ignored. We’ve heard it before and are now safety experts, right? After hearing what happened to a passenger on a Continental flight a few days ago, I’ll make a point listening to the flight attendant’s presentation every time and obeying the rules of flight, even if I really, really have to go to the bathroom.
Apparently, the 47-year-old woman on Continental Flight 511 decided she couldn’t hold it any longer. Even though the “fasten your seatbelts” sign was illuminated and the plane was experiencing turbulence, the woman rose from her seat and made her way to the lavatory. While she was inside the small space, the plane suddenly dropped during turbulence throwing the woman against the ceiling. She fractured her neck and back rendering her paralyzed from the chest down. After undergoing 2 surgeries totaling 11 hours, the woman has developed some motion in her toes and regained some sensation, but the doctor isn’t sure she’ll ever walk again.
Pretty scary. I have to admit, I’ve been a little ignorant while flying. I haven’t disobeyed the rules, but I have questioned them. I now realize any turbulence I may have experience in flight was nothing compared to what Continental Flight 511 flew through. I guess I was living in the teenage world of “it can’t happen to me”. Time to revise that way of thinking.
Have you flown through some rough turbulence? Do you have a flight story you’d like to share?
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In the 70s, my mother, who is afraid of flying, had to make a trip to Utah to see her dying mother. They hit turbulance unexpectedly, and as this was before they started requesting passengers keep their belts on when not needing to move about the cabin, she was unbuckled.
ReplyDeleteWell, long story short, the plane dropped several HUNDRED feet at once, throwing the meal service (halfway served), the passengers and attendants up against the ceiling. Or one or two against the ceiling. There were a couple of broken bones as I recall and no one had to have a hospital stay. Mom of course really really hates to fly now.
Me, the worst experience I've had flying is TSA.
Wow! That poor woman. :(
ReplyDeleteStrangely, turbulence is one of my favorite things about flying.
Luckily my worst turbulence story is a spilled drink.
ReplyDeleteSorry, no turbulence stories although last time I flew it was after wine tasting in Napa Valley. Thank goodness the turbulence was at a minimum or a lot of other passengers might have a horror story to share about turbulence LOL.
ReplyDeleteSad about the lady. I hate the turbulance and whinge at the thought.
ReplyDeleteHappy week to you.
Once when my oldest was a baby, we flew to Arizona to visit family. Over the Rockies the turbulence can get pretty rough. My baby just filled her diaper and was screaming to have me change it right in the middle of the nasty turbulence. With the help of a flight attendant, we walked to the back and I changed her diaper right quick, then immediately went back to my seat. Flying scares me a little anyway, but with an infant and a poopy diaper, that's more like a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteI know some people can fly all the time and never have any problems. But its those of us who fly once every ten years that have the worst things happen, right?!
ReplyDeleteMy husband is the one that's flown the most...to Iraq and back many times over a two year period. That's a rough trip to make and he's had a few interesting stories...especially flying over Baghdad. I've only flown a couple of times.
ReplyDeleteOh my. Only one thing I dislike more than cats, and that's flying/heights. *shudder*
ReplyDeleteNothing like that, thank heavens. Though our plane did have to make "sudden flight manuevers" when on approach so as not to collide into another plane. That was terrifying!
ReplyDeletePoor! When I fly, I usually am very obedient because accident can happen even when it is taxiing in the airport.
ReplyDeleteIn Quest of Theta Magic
That's horrible! :-(
ReplyDeleteYeah, turbulence is scary. I'm very much a follow the rules type person, so I keep my belt om a lot. LOL
I've flown a lot and my kids are seasoned travelers as we lived in CA and the rest of the family in NY - we would fly cross country a few times a year.
ReplyDeleteI've got an arsenal full of air-travel stories that are funny and not so funny (as in scary)
Terrible for that woman.
Wow! There are some great stories here: a crying poopy-diapered baby, a plane avoiding a collision, a plane dropping several hundred feet... Makes me wonder... Do we complain about riding in cars as much? Somehow the perception is that planes are more dangerous, but the statistics show that's not even close to being the case. Strange how that works.
ReplyDeleteLynnette Labelle
Up where I live we hear lots of stories about driving and ice--sliding off the road and recovering, sliding off and hitting something, or (my personal favorite because it's happened a few times) game on the road that's slipping while trying to run and your car sliding directly at the critter.
ReplyDeleteSo at least up in Northern Maine people talk about driving.