The Worst Turbulence Incidents in History
23 cases from 1963 to 2026 · every fact sourced to the investigation report where one exists · Updated October 25, 2026
Turbulence almost never brings down an airliner today, but it is the most common cause of injuries on board. Below are the deadliest and most violent cases we could verify, with the official findings, the real injury counts (which often differ from the first headlines) and video from news crews where it exists. At the end, we compare each case with our own route data: the worst incidents come in two kinds, and only one of them shows up in seasonal data.
124killed on BOAC 911 in 1966, the deadliest turbulence accident
79injured on Singapore Airlines SQ321 in 2024, 56 seriously
37.6%of US airline accidents in 2009–2018 were turbulence-related (NTSB)
1 of 123seriously injured people was wearing a seat belt (NTSB)
All incidents at a glance
Sorted by deaths, then year. Injury counts are from the investigating authority where one published them.
When turbulence brought airliners down
Five fatal accidents from the 1960s, most of which began with a decision to fly into a storm or close to mountains, and a 1993 case where turbulence tore an engine off a 747.
1BOAC Flight 911
- Date
- 5 March 1966
- Aircraft
- Boeing 707-436 (G-APFE)
- Route
- Tokyo Haneda → Hong Kong
- Deaths
- 124
- Injuries
- No survivors
- Turbulence type
- Mountain wave
Minutes after take-off, the crew made a visual climb past Mount Fuji on a clear, windy afternoon. Over Gotemba, at about 4,900 m (16,000 ft), the 707 broke apart in the air; the wreckage fell across the mountain's lower slopes. All 113 passengers and 11 crew were killed. It remains the deadliest turbulence accident in commercial aviation.
The aircraft “suddenly encountered abnormally severe turbulence over Gotemba City which imposed a gust load considerably in excess of the design limit.”Japanese Ministry of Transport investigation report, 1967
▶Video: AP Archive on YouTubeSources: Official report (J. Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences) · Wikipedia
2Braniff Flight 352
- Date
- 3 May 1968
- Aircraft
- Lockheed L-188 Electra (N9707C)
- Route
- Houston → Dallas
- Deaths
- 85
- Injuries
- No survivors
- Turbulence type
- Thunderstorm
Near Dawson, Texas, the crew flew into a line of severe thunderstorms and then tried to turn back. The Electra was overstressed during the attempted recovery and broke up in flight. All 80 passengers and 5 crew died.
“The stressing of the aircraft structure beyond its ultimate strength during an attempted recovery from an unusual attitude induced by turbulence associated with a thunderstorm. The operation in the turbulence resulted from a decision to penetrate an area of known severe weather.”NTSB, AAR-69-03
Sources: NTSB report AAR-69-03 · Wikipedia
3Northwest Orient Flight 705
- Date
- 12 February 1963
- Aircraft
- Boeing 720B (N724US)
- Route
- Miami → Chicago
- Deaths
- 43
- Injuries
- No survivors
- Turbulence type
- Thunderstorm + loss of control
Climbing out of Miami through a squall line, the jet was carried up by a violent updraft of about 9,000 ft per minute, pitched over into a steep dive and broke up over the Everglades. All 43 on board died. The accident reshaped how airline pilots are trained to fly through rough air.
“The unfavorable interaction of severe vertical air drafts and large longitudinal control displacements resulting in a longitudinal upset from which a successful recovery was not made.”US Civil Aeronautics Board, 1965
Sources: CAB accident report (FAA archive) · FAA Lessons Learned
4Braniff Flight 250
- Date
- 6 August 1966
- Aircraft
- BAC One-Eleven 203AE (N1553)
- Route
- Kansas City → Omaha
- Deaths
- 42
- Injuries
- No survivors
- Turbulence type
- Squall line
Near Falls City, Nebraska, the One-Eleven flew into a roll cloud ahead of a squall line at about 5,000 ft. A single violent gust tore off the fin and the right tailplane, and then the right wing failed. All 38 passengers and 4 crew died.
“Inflight structural failure caused by extreme turbulence during operation of the aircraft in an area of avoidable hazardous weather.”NTSB, 1968
Sources: NTSB report (ERAU library) · KMTV 3 News Now video
5Wien Consolidated Flight 55
- Date
- 2 December 1968
- Aircraft
- Fairchild F-27B (N4905)
- Route
- Anchorage → Iliamna, Alaska
- Deaths
- 39
- Injuries
- No survivors
- Turbulence type
- Severe turbulence in clear air
On approach to Iliamna in clear weather and high winds, the turboprop met severe-to-extreme turbulence that nobody had forecast. The right wing, already weakened by fatigue cracks, failed. All 36 passengers and 3 crew died, and the FAA ordered inspections of the F-27 fleet.
“An in-flight structural failure caused by an encounter with severe-to-extreme turbulence. This turbulence was not forecast and its presence was not known to the flightcrew.”NTSB, AAR-70-16
Sources: NTSB report AAR-70-16 · Wikipedia
6Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 46E
- Date
- 31 March 1993
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-121 freighter (N473EV, operated by Evergreen)
- Route
- Anchorage → Chicago
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- None
- Turbulence type
- Low-level mountain turbulence
At about 2,000 ft after take-off from Anchorage, severe turbulence rolled the freighter 50° to the left and tore the No. 2 engine and its pylon clean off the wing. The five people on board were unhurt and the crew landed back at Anchorage. It is a rare modern case of turbulence causing structural damage, helped by a fatigue crack in the pylon.
Separation of the No. 2 engine pylon “due to an encounter with severe or possibly extreme turbulence that resulted in dynamic multi-axis lateral loadings that exceeded the ultimate lateral load-carrying capability of the pylon”, which was already weakened by a fatigue crack.NTSB, AAR-93/06
▶Video: Airspace on YouTubeSources: NTSB report AAR-93/06 · Wikipedia
The most violent incidents of the modern era
Deaths are now rare; injuries are not. Ranked by deaths, then by people hurt.
1Singapore Airlines SQ321
- Date
- 21 May 2024
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777-300ER (9V-SWM)
- Route
- London → Singapore, diverted to Bangkok
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 56 serious, 23 minor
- Turbulence type
- Convective (fast-growing storm cloud)
Cruising at 37,000 ft over southwest Myanmar, the 777 flew into air above a rapidly growing storm cloud. In 0.6 seconds the vertical load swung from +1.35 g to −1.5 g, throwing unbelted passengers and crew into the ceiling; the aircraft dropped about 219 ft in roughly five seconds. A 73-year-old British passenger died; a UK inquest in September 2026 concluded that the physiological effect of the turbulence brought on his cardiac arrest. The seat-belt sign had been switched on eight seconds before the drop.
The encounter “was likely the result of this rapidly growing cloud”, which rose from about 27,500 ft to 40,000 ft in ten minutes. Whether the weather radar failed to show it “cannot be ruled out”.Singapore TSIB final report, May 2026
▶Video: CNA on YouTubeSources: TSIB final report (ICAO) · TSIB preliminary findings · UK inquest (Mothership) · The Aviation Herald
Turbulence forecast for LHR → SIN →
2United Airlines Flight 826
- Date
- 28 December 1997
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-122 (N4723U)
- Route
- Tokyo Narita → Honolulu, returned to Tokyo
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 18 serious, 171 minor
- Turbulence type
- Clear-air turbulence (jet stream)
About 870 nm out of Narita at 31,000 ft, the 747 hit clear-air turbulence near the jet stream. The recorders showed +1.8 g followed by −0.8 g six seconds later; contrary to early press reports of a 1,000 ft plunge, altitude changed by less than 100 ft. A 32-year-old passenger who was not wearing her seat belt died. According to the NTSB, it is still the last fatal turbulence accident on a US airline.
“The pilot-in-command's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions, and the difficulty of obtaining adequate weather forecasts of over-ocean turbulence. Factors contributing to the accident include the presence of clear air turbulence, and the failure of the flight attendant to issue a safety advisory.”NTSB, DCA98MA015
Sources: NTSB final report (SKYbrary) · NTSB press release, 1997 (archived) · Deseret News, 1997
Turbulence forecast for NRT → HNL →
3SpiceJet SG945
- Date
- 1 May 2022
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-800 (VT-SLH)
- Route
- Mumbai → Durgapur
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 3 serious, 17 minor
- Turbulence type
- Convective (flew into storm)
Descending through about 15,000 ft towards Durgapur, the 737 entered a storm cloud. The load factor swung from +2.6 g to −1.3 g in three seconds. One passenger suffered a spinal injury and died of its complications in September 2022.
“Poor CRM and decision making on part of crew to penetrate bad weather”; passengers not following seat-belt instructions “led to avoidable injuries.”AAIB India final report, February 2025
▶Video: Hindustan Times on YouTubeSources: AAIB India final report · Tribune India
4Neos NO731
- Date
- 19 November 2012
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767-300 (I-NDMJ)
- Route
- Havana → Milan
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 66 needed medical care, 55 to hospital
- Turbulence type
- Severe turbulence over the Atlantic
Over the Atlantic in New York oceanic airspace, the 767 hit severe turbulence. According to The Aviation Herald, 66 people needed medical attention and 55 were taken to hospital, the largest head count of injuries in our list. Italy's investigators confirmed some hospital stays of more than 48 hours but have not published a final count.
Sources: AeroInside / The Aviation Herald
5Emirates EK421
- Date
- 4 December 2023
- Aircraft
- Airbus A380 (A6-EEV)
- Route
- Perth → Dubai
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 7 serious, 43 minor
- Turbulence type
- Convective
At 38,000 ft over the Indian Ocean near the Maldives, during the meal service, the A380 flew into turbulence above developing storm cells. The load swung between −0.5 g and +2.16 g over six seconds and the cabin ceiling cracked. Fifty people were hurt; the press at the time reported 14.
Severe turbulence associated with “vertically developing convective activity”, where weak radar returns gave no “prominent indication” of the risk; unrestrained occupants and too little time between the seat-belt sign and the onset contributed.UAE GCAA final report, April 2026
Sources: GCAA final report AIFN/0015/2023 · The Aviation Herald
Turbulence forecast for PER → DXB →
6Air Europa UX045
- Date
- 1 July 2024
- Aircraft
- Boeing 787-9 (EC-MTI)
- Route
- Madrid → Montevideo, diverted to Natal
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- about 40 (Natal airport)
- Turbulence type
- Not officially stated
At 36,000 ft over the Atlantic off Brazil, severe turbulence threw passengers into the ceiling. The defining image: a passenger being pulled out of an overhead luggage bin. The 787 diverted to Natal, where around 40 people were treated. Counts differ: Air Europa first spoke of 7 injured, Brazilian health officials of 30 taken to hospital. No official report has been published.
▶Video: TODAY on YouTubeSources: The Aviation Herald · ABC News · NBC News
Turbulence forecast for MAD → MVD →
7Avianca AV18
- Date
- 27 June 2015
- Aircraft
- Airbus A330-200 (N973AV)
- Route
- Bogotá → Barcelona, diverted to Curaçao
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 38 (severity disputed)
- Turbulence type
- Convective
Over the Caribbean at 37,000–39,000 ft, with the seat-belt sign off, the A330 hit severe turbulence near storm clouds. Thirty-eight people were injured. France's BEA classed all of them as serious; Colombia's investigators called them minor.
The investigation cited crew “overconfidence”, complacency with the weather radar and the absence of a seat-belt sign.Colombia GRIAA final report, 2018 (via The Aviation Herald)
Sources: GRIAA preliminary report · The Aviation Herald
8Air Canada AC33
- Date
- 11 July 2019
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777-200LR (C-FNNH)
- Route
- Vancouver → Sydney, diverted to Honolulu
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 37 (TSB Canada)
- Turbulence type
- Unforecast severe turbulence
About 640 nm southwest of Honolulu, at cruise altitude, with the seat-belt sign off, the 777 hit 10–15 seconds of severe turbulence in an area with no significant weather forecast. People who were not strapped in hit the ceiling. Thirty-seven were hurt; Honolulu emergency services said nine seriously.
▶Video: CBC News on YouTubeSources: TSB Canada A19F0176 · NBC News / AP
Turbulence forecast for YVR → SYD →
9Turkish Airlines TK1
- Date
- 9 March 2019
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777-300ER (TC-JJG)
- Route
- Istanbul → New York JFK
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 29–30
- Turbulence type
- Severe turbulence
About 50 nm north of Boston at 32,000 ft, on approach to New York, the 777 hit severe turbulence. New York firefighters reported 28 people with minor injuries and a flight attendant with a broken leg.
▶Video: Eyewitness News ABC7NY on YouTubeSources: AeroInside / The Aviation Herald · CNBC
Turbulence forecast for IST → JFK →
10Delta DL56
- Date
- 30 July 2025
- Aircraft
- Airbus A330-900 (N422DZ)
- Route
- Salt Lake City → Amsterdam, diverted to Minneapolis
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 5 minor crew; 18 passengers to hospital
- Turbulence type
- Convective (SIGMET in effect)
About 45 minutes after take-off, at 37,000 ft over Wyoming, the A330 was upset for about two and a half minutes, with loads between about +1.75 g and −0.5 g and roll of up to 40°. A convective SIGMET was in effect, and the captain had switched the seat-belt sign off shortly before. The final report is still pending.
▶Video: CBS Evening News on YouTubeSources: NTSB preliminary report DCA25LA276 · The Aviation Herald
11Hawaiian Airlines HA35
- Date
- 18 December 2022
- Aircraft
- Airbus A330-200 (N393HA)
- Route
- Phoenix → Honolulu
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 4 serious, 20 minor (NTSB)
- Turbulence type
- Convective (flew over storm cell)
Approaching Maui at 40,000 ft, the captain saw a cloud “shoot up” in front of the aircraft like a plume of smoke. The A330 took more than 2 g and the aft cabin ceiling was damaged. Honolulu responders spoke of 36 injured on the day; the NTSB later counted 24.
“The flight crew's decision to fly over an observed storm cell instead of deviating around it despite sufficient meteorological information.”NTSB, DCA23LA096 (December 2024)
▶Video: Hawaii News Now on YouTubeSources: NTSB final report · Hawaii News Now
12Etihad EY474
- Date
- 4 May 2016
- Aircraft
- Airbus A330-200 (A6-EYN)
- Route
- Abu Dhabi → Jakarta
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 7 serious, 17 minor (KNKT)
- Turbulence type
- Convective
About 210 nm north of Jakarta, at 39,000 ft, the A330 flew into the turbulent edge of a thunderstorm while outside visible cloud, with no warning to the cabin. The load swung between −0.65 g and +1.95 g; the autopilot disconnected. Etihad said 31 people were hurt.
The aircraft entered an unanticipated turbulent area of a thunderstorm.Indonesia KNKT final report, 2017 (via SKYbrary)
Sources: SKYbrary summary of KNKT report · ITV News
13Condor DE2314
- Date
- 2 March 2023
- Aircraft
- Airbus A330-900 (D-ANRA)
- Route
- Frankfurt → Mauritius
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 6 serious, 16 minor (BFU)
- Turbulence type
- Convective
At 39,000 ft north of Madagascar, with the captain in the crew rest area, the A330 clipped the top of a cloud bank that the radar painted only in green. The load swung from +1.6 g to −0.6 g in ten seconds.
The crew did not recognise how intense the clouds were, and the heading change “occurred too late so that the aircraft entered the top layer of clouds.”German BFU final report, 2025
Sources: SKYbrary summary of BFU report · The Aviation Herald
14Delta DL175
- Date
- 29 August 2023
- Aircraft
- Airbus A350-900 (N576DZ)
- Route
- Milan → Atlanta
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 4 serious, 13 minor (NTSB)
- Turbulence type
- Convective
Descending through about 14,000 ft towards Atlanta, the A350 ran into rapidly growing cumulus clouds. Loads swung from +1.69 g to −0.97 g; eleven people were taken to hospital.
“Unintentional encounter with rapidly developing cumulus clouds which resulted in an encounter with severe convectively induced turbulence.”NTSB, DCA23FA428 (June 2025)
▶Video: CBS Evening News on YouTubeSources: NTSB final report · The Aviation Herald
Turbulence forecast for ATL → MXP →
15United Airlines UA1890
- Date
- 10 February 2024
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777-200ER (N788UA)
- Route
- Los Angeles → Newark
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 3 flight attendants seriously
- Turbulence type
- Unanticipated turbulence (no storm)
Descending through about 21,500 ft over New York state, the 777 hit a small area of moderate-to-severe turbulence; three flight attendants were seriously hurt. Another crew had reported moderate turbulence there three minutes earlier, but the report was not passed on.
An “unanticipated localized region of moderate-to-severe turbulence”; contributing: the controller did not relay the earlier pilot report.NTSB, DCA24LA097 (February 2026)
Sources: NTSB final report · The Aviation Herald
Turbulence forecast for LAX → EWR →
16Qatar Airways QR017
- Date
- 26 May 2024
- Aircraft
- Boeing 787-9 (A7-BHM)
- Route
- Doha → Dublin
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 12 injured, 8 to hospital
- Turbulence type
- Not officially stated
Five days after SQ321, during the meal service over Turkey at 36,000 ft, the 787 hit less than 20 seconds of turbulence. Passengers described people hitting the ceiling and food flying across the cabin. Twelve people, six of them crew, were hurt.
▶Video: NBC News on YouTubeSources: The Aviation Herald · Al Jazeera
Turbulence forecast for DOH → DUB →
17Avianca AV42
- Date
- 9 October 2026
- Aircraft
- Airbus A320 (N207FR)
- Route
- Medellín → New York JFK, diverted to Miami
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 8 to hospital (Miami-Dade Fire Rescue)
- Turbulence type
- Severe turbulence
The most recent case on this list: at 36,000 ft about 110 nm southeast of Miami, the A320 hit severe turbulence and diverted to Miami. Eight people went to hospital, one to a trauma centre. Reports of a “25,000 ft drop” describe the normal descent for the diversion, not the turbulence itself.
▶Video: CBS Miami on YouTubeSources: The Aviation Herald · NBC Miami
What our data shows: two kinds of worst-case turbulence
We ran each incident route through the same model we used for our ranking of the most turbulent flight routes: a full year (2025) of NOAA upper-air winds, with the wind-shear formula our app uses to forecast clear-air turbulence at cruise altitude. For each route we compared the month of the incident with the route's yearly average. This is the typical climate of that route and month, not the weather on the day.
Clear-air cases tend to fall in the route's roughest season. In 3 of the 5 cases where investigators or the airline pointed to clear-air or unforecast turbulence, rough-air conditions in that month were well above the route's average: United 826 flew Tokyo–Honolulu in December, when the jet stream over Japan is at its strongest.
| Flight | Route | Month | That month | Year avg |
|---|
| United 826NTSB: clear-air turbulence | NRT–HNL | December | 14.6% | 5.8% |
| United 1890NTSB: unanticipated, no storm | LAX–EWR | February | 14.6% | 5.4% |
| Lufthansa 469 (2023)Lufthansa: clear-air turbulence | AUS–FRA | March | 11.3% | 5.1% |
| United 897 (2010)NTSB: clear-air turbulence | IAD–NRT | February | 3.6% | 3.5% |
| Aeroflot 270 (2017)Russian regulator: unforecast CAT | SVO–BKK | May | 0.9% | 2.8% |
Storm cases do not. In 7 of the 9 convective cases, the month was calmer than average for clear-air turbulence. These aircraft were hurt by fast-growing storm clouds, which can appear on any route in any season and are only visible on radar, satellite and pilot reports in real time.
| Flight | Route | Month | That month | Year avg |
|---|
| Singapore SQ321 | LHR–SIN | May | 1.2% | 2.1% |
| Emirates EK421 | PER–DXB | December | 0.6% | 1.7% |
| Etihad EY474 | AUH–CGK | May | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| SpiceJet SG945 | BOM–RDP | May | 0.0% | 3.6% |
| Avianca AV18 | BOG–BCN | June | 0.0% | 1.2% |
| Delta DL175 | MXP–ATL | August | 2.7% | 5.3% |
| Delta DL56 | SLC–AMS | July | 0.8% | 2.6% |
| Condor DE2314 | FRA–MRU | March | 4.3% | 2.1% |
| Hawaiian HA35 | PHX–HNL | December | 4.4% | 3.1% |
The pattern is not perfect: Aeroflot 270 met clear-air turbulence over Thailand in May, which a 2.5° climate grid rates as calm, and Hawaiian 35 and Condor 2314 hit storms in months that were also rough for clear-air turbulence. But the lesson holds. Seasonal data tells you when a route is usually bumpy; only a live forecast, storm data and pilot reports tell you about the cloud that is growing in front of you today.
Turbulence in numbers
- Most common accident type. 111 of 295 accidents on US airlines in 2009–2018 (37.6%) were turbulence-related, and every one of them involved at least one serious injury. None caused substantial damage to the aircraft. (NTSB SS-21-01)
- Crew get hurt most. Flight attendants were 78.9% of the seriously injured; of 123 seriously injured people, one was documented as wearing a seat belt. About half of these accidents happened during descent and approach. (NTSB)
- A record year in 2024. The FAA counted 207 serious turbulence injuries on US airlines in 2009–2024, 80% of them crew; 2024 was the worst year, with 23. (FAA)
- Getting rougher up high. Severe clear-air turbulence over the North Atlantic rose 55%, from 17.7 to 27.4 hours a year at an average point, between 1979 and 2020. (Prosser et al., 2023) A 2026 study projects a further 10–50% increase in severe turbulence by the end of the century, depending on region and emissions. (de Medeiros & Williams, 2026) Not every region shows a clear trend yet: over the North Atlantic and North Pacific, natural swings still mask the warming signal. (Foudad et al., 2024)
- More sharing. Over 3,300 aircraft from 31 airlines now send automatic turbulence reports to IATA's Turbulence Aware platform. (IATA, April 2026)
Want the bumpiest routes rather than the worst days? See the most turbulent flight routes in the world, and can turbulence crash a plane? for how aircraft are built to cope.
What changed after SQ321
- Singapore Airlines stopped serving hot drinks and meals while the seat-belt sign is on. Normal service returned in August 2024, but hot drinks, including soup, are still not served when the sign is on.
- Korean Air stopped serving instant noodles in economy class from 15 August 2024, citing a sharp rise in turbulence, and now ends cabin service earlier before landing.
- Southwest Airlines moved cabin preparation for landing from 10,000 ft to 18,000 ft from December 2024 to cut turbulence injuries.
- Investigators in Singapore recommended that ICAO require weather-radar recording on older large aircraft, because they could not tell whether SQ321's radar had shown the storm.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the worst turbulence incident in history?
The deadliest is BOAC Flight 911 on 5 March 1966: a Boeing 707 broke apart in severe mountain-wave turbulence near Mount Fuji, killing all 124 people on board. In the jet age, the worst for injuries is Singapore Airlines SQ321 on 21 May 2024: one passenger died and 79 people were injured, 56 of them seriously.
Has turbulence ever caused a plane crash?
Yes, but it is now extremely rare. Every airliner loss caused by turbulence in this list happened in the 1960s, usually after the crew flew into thunderstorms or near mountains. Since then, stronger certification rules, weather radar and storm avoidance have made a turbulence crash extremely rare. Today the danger is injuries to people who are not wearing a seat belt.
When did turbulence last kill an airline passenger?
A passenger on Singapore Airlines SQ321 died on 21 May 2024; a UK inquest concluded the turbulence brought on his cardiac arrest. A SpiceJet passenger injured in turbulence on 1 May 2022 died of his injuries months later. Before that, the last turbulence death on a US airline was on United Flight 826 in December 1997.
Who gets hurt in turbulence?
Mostly flight attendants. In the NTSB's study of US airline turbulence accidents from 2009 to 2018, flight attendants were 78.9% of the seriously injured. Of 123 seriously injured people, only one was documented as wearing a seat belt.
Is turbulence getting worse?
Clear-air turbulence appears to be increasing. A University of Reading study found that severe clear-air turbulence over the North Atlantic rose 55% between 1979 and 2020, and climate models project further increases. Other research finds the trend is clearest over East Asia, North Africa and the Middle East, and harder to separate from natural variability over the oceans.
How can I stay safe in turbulence?
Keep your seat belt fastened whenever you are seated, not only when the sign is on. In almost every serious case in this list, the people who were badly hurt were out of their seats or unbelted.
References
Incident sources are linked under each case. Investigation reports are cited first; where none has been published we rely on The Aviation Herald and major news organisations, and say so. Injury counts often change between the first reports and the final investigation; we use the final figure where available.
- NTSB, Preventing Turbulence-Related Injuries in Air Carrier Operations Conducted Under Part 121 (SS-21-01), 2021
- FAA, Turbulence: Staying Safe (Part 121 serious turbulence injuries 2009–2024)
- Prosser et al., Evidence for large increases in clear-air turbulence over the past four decades, Geophysical Research Letters, 2023
- Foudad et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2024
- de Medeiros & Williams, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2026
- IATA Turbulence Aware programme update, April 2026
- Korean Air ends instant noodle service in economy (Korea Times, 2024)
- Southwest Airlines moves cabin landing preparation to 18,000 ft (NBC/AP, 2024)
- Singapore Airlines restores service with hot-drink restrictions (The Milelion, 2024)
- Lufthansa LH469, 1 March 2023, clear-air turbulence near Washington (The Aviation Herald)
- United UA897, 19 February 2010, clear-air turbulence over Alaska, NTSB final (AeroInside)
- Aeroflot SU270, 1 May 2017, unforecast turbulence near Bangkok (AeroInside)
- NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis 1 (NOAA PSL), 2025 upper-air winds used for our route model
Check the turbulence forecast for your flight
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