Federations of pilots and flight attendants around the world simultaneously called on passengers to “fasten their seat belts” after a Singapore Airlines flight encountered turbulence, killing one person.
Flight from London, England to Singapore bearing number SQ321 of Singapore Airlines on May 21 encountered serious turbulence while flying over the Irrawaddy River basin of Myanmar. One person was killed and dozens were injured, including 7 seriously injured. A witness on the flight said many passengers who were not wearing seat belts were thrown throughout the cabin when the plane suddenly lost altitude. Many people hit their heads.
Inside the Singapore Airlines plane after encountering turbulence on May 21. Image: Reuters
Immediately after the accident, flight attendants and pilots around the world quickly issued messages, urging passengers to wear seat belts on flights. Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants (CWA), which represents more than 50,000 employees at 20 airlines, said the type of turbulence experienced by Singapore Airlines was considered “the most dangerous turbulence”. “. It’s “clear sky noise,” virtually undetectable with current technology. Therefore, wearing a seat belt every time you sit “becomes even more important,” according to Nelson.
“It’s a matter of life and death,” Nelson said of the importance of wearing a seat belt throughout the flight.
The Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), representing more than 77,000 pilots at 41 US-Canadian airlines, also repeated the message “fasten your seat belt when flying”. ALPA said the safest way for passengers to protect themselves is to “ensure their seat belts are always fastened.”
Aerospace safety expert Anthony Brickhouse said passengers need to limit movement on flights and always wear seat belts, regardless of whether the seat belt off light is on or not.
A 2021 study by the US National Transportation Safety Board found that aviation accidents involving turbulence are the most common.
American Airlines has required pilots to wear seat belts and instruct passengers and flight attendants to sit immediately when there is severe turbulence. Flight attendants must remain seated until the captain makes an announcement or the seat belt sign turns off. Other airlines also have similar regulations.
Some pilots said that leaving the seat belt sign on during a flight “can have the opposite effect” because passengers always “ignore” this warning. Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the American Airlines pilots union, said seat belt signs that stay on “don’t make any sense” because people consider them unnecessary. Therefore, according to many aviation experts, wearing seat belts during the flight should be “mandatory” instead of just a recommendation as currently.