Flight CA1524 from Shanghai to Beijing on July 10, 2023, experiences severe turbulence during the flight, which caused injuries of a passenger and a flight attendant, who were thrown to the ceiling and hit the exit sign. Photo: from web

 

"Thank god we are alive!" On Monday, a number of netizens posted on Chinese social media after disembarking flight CA1524 from Shanghai to Beijing, describing the terrifying moment when their flight experienced a severe turbulence before landing, with a flight attendant and a passenger injured as they were thrown to the ceiling. 

Air China, the operator of the flight, responded to the incident on Tuesday morning, confirming the Airbus A330-300 aircraft did encounter unexpected clear-air turbulence during the flight, which caused injuries on one passenger and one flight attendant.

They have been sent to hospital for treatment after the flight landed safely at 5:18 pm in Beijing, Air China said in a statement. "We will continue to prioritize safety and provide excellent services, and we appreciate the support and care from our valued passengers," it said. 

The turbulence occurred at about 30 to 40 minutes before landing, according to passengers onboard. There was a sudden drop, followed by another intense descent within a very short interval. The sudden jolts and violent shaking of the aircraft caught everyone off guard.

Xing Lida, an associate professor at China University of Geosciences and a well-known blogger on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo, was also on the plane. 

"The first half of the flight was quite smooth. However, in the last 30 to 40 minutes, as people were going back and forth to the restroom, there was a sudden drop that startled everyone," Xing said on Weibo on Monday night.

He told the Global Times on Tuesday that the whole process was not as terrible as some have described on the Internet. 

"I saw a woman in her 40s and a flight attendant covering the woman with her body both thrown to the ceiling. The ceiling cracked and the exit sign fell to the floor next to my feet," Xing said. Luckily, the two were not severely injured. "There are some sprains and superficial injuries, but their conditions remain generally stable," he said. 

"I want to give my high regard to the flight attendants of Air China. Despite their own fear, they jumped up to protect the passengers who haven't fasten their seatbelts and held them tightly. They then proceeded to provide assistance to the injured in a professional and calm manner. I truly appreciate their dedication and professionalism," Xing noted. 

As passengers recalled the unsettling moment, they said water bottles, pillows were flying everywhere in the cabin, and people were screaming, thinking they might not make it…When the plane finally touched ground, everyone gave out their heartfelt applause. 

Despite the incident, there was only a slight delay to the destination, Xing said. Passengers left the cabin in an orderly manner except for the two injured persons, who were kept on the plane.  

According to flight tracking apps, the aircraft's altitude did not experience any significant abnormal changes, but there was thunderstorm developing along the plane's flight path.

On Tuesday, CA1524 was seen still operating normally, taking off from Shanghai at 2:45 pm and landing at Beijing Capital International Airport at around 4:30 pm. However, the aircraft type has been changed to a Boeing 747-89L, flight tracking apps showed.

Clear-air turbulence occurs when there is turbulent airflow in the atmosphere, which cannot be detected by onboard aircraft radar systems. Such incidents of severe turbulence occur almost every week worldwide, Chen Jianguo, a senior pilot, told thepaper.cn. 

Although severe turbulence can cause damage to aircraft equipment, it generally does not pose significant safety risks, experts said, calling on passengers to fasten their seatbelts during such events and not panic, as such turbulence is within the structural limits of aircraft.