Injuries Due to In-Flight Turbulence During United States Commercial Airline Flights (2008-2023)

Abstract

Introduction

Although often harmless, unexpected turbulence can occasionally cause injuries and even mortality for passengers on commercial airline flights. Studies of the mechanisms of injury associated with turbulence-related accidents can help airlines and regulatory agencies develop strategies to improve safety during encounters with turbulence.

Methods

We examined accident reports from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a federal agency tasked with investigating aviation accidents. Reports for accidents with at least one serious injury between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2023, were queried for the term “turbulence” in the probable cause section of the accident report. Data surrounding the causes and circumstances of each turbulence-related accident were then abstracted.

Results

A total of 136 turbulence-related accidents met inclusion criteria: there were 143 serious injuries and 218 minor injuries. Ten accidents (7.4%) had more than 5 minor injuries. Flight attendants were injured in 126 accidents (92.6%). Most accidents took place during the enroute phase of flight (n = 113, 83.1%). Regional airliners were involved in 32 accidents (23.5%), and wide-body airliners were involved in 22 accidents (16.2%). When specific injury data were available, most common injuries included fractures to the ankle (n = 36, 26.5%), leg (n = 19, 14.0%), and spine (n = 17, 12.5%).

Conclusions

Our analysis of a nationally representative database of aviation safety data reveals trends in turbulence-related accidents and their associated patterns of injury. Additional research is needed to identify potential solutions to mitigate the risk of injuries due to in-flight turbulence.