NTSB Seeks to Curb Injuries From Head-Slamming Jet Turbulence
- Agency investigators seek better weather data, other steps
- Flight attendants take brunt of punishment in bumpy skies
Photographer: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Getty Images
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Accidents on U.S. airlines have become increasingly rare except for one category of in-flight mishap that has remained stubbornly prevalent: turbulence that leads to serious injuries.
More than 65% of severe injuries -- or 28 of 43 -- logged by U.S. accident investigators from 2017 through 2020 on airliners resulted from planes encountering bumpy skies, triggered by atmospheric conditions that could be worsening due to climate change.