“Investigators have removed the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder and are continuing to gather information from the flight crew, operator and other passengers,” said investigators.
Local police named the deceased passenger as Dana Hyde, 55. She was a former State Department employee and Maryland resident, according to CNN.
Death by Turbulence
Turbulence, caused by erratic air currents is not unusual, however injuries or deaths are extremely rare.
From 2009 to 2021, 146 passengers aboard regularly scheduled commercial flights reported ‘serious injury’ from turbulence, says the US FAA. 80 per cent of these are injuries to cabin crew.
According to the data, most accidents occur when passengers are not wearing a seatbelt.
The statistics are quite different when private aircraft and business jets are taken into the equation.
There have been no turbulence related deaths aboard commercial airliners in the past ten years. Whereas there have been 38 deaths aboard privately owned (part 91) aircraft in turbulence-related incidents. In most cases these account for fatal crashes where turbulence was found to have been a factor.
Last Wednesday seven passengers were taken to hospital after their Lufthansa flight to LH469 encountered an “unanticipated” storm pattern.
The airline said the flight “encountered brief but severe turbulence about 90 minutes after takeoff,” before making “an unscheduled landing at Washington Dulles International Airport as a precautionary measure.”
This turbulence occurred mid meal service and there were reports that some passengers, who were not wearing seatbelts, hit the cabin roof.
