--- title: How Dangerous is Turbulence? description: Ten people had to be treated in hospital after 'extreme' turbulence from Athens to Philadelphia. How do you stay safe? canonical: https://time.com/4889697/how-dangerous-is-turbulence/ author: Rachel Lewis article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-08-07T16:30:55.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:27:36.224Z og:title: How Dangerous Is Turbulence? og:description: How to avoid getting hurt og:url: https://time.com/4889697/how-dangerous-is-turbulence/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4629942a1ff38f55/6988d8ac8fd2ee07fe358508/plane-turbulance.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Image of airplane wing flying above the clouds og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How Dangerous Is Turbulence? twitter:description: How to avoid getting hurt twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4629942a1ff38f55/6988d8ac8fd2ee07fe358508/plane-turbulance.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How Dangerous Is Turbulence? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=8401e365-f536-4bb4-9fee-c3ed0dac1871&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Severe Turbulence on an American Airlines Flight Left 10 Injured [Watch (HLS stream): Severe Turbulence on an American Airlines Flight Left 10 Injured](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/aURXAbux.m3u8) (0:59)  _Published 2017-08-07. At least 10 people were injured as a result of severe turbulence on an American Airlines flight from Greece to Philadelphia over the weekend._ by [Rachel Lewis](https://time.com/author/rachel-lewis/) ## Rachel Lewis Aug 7, 2017 4:30 PM UTC At least 10 people were injured as a result of severe turbulence on an American Airlines flight from Greece to Philadelphia over the weekend. by [Rachel Lewis](https://time.com/author/rachel-lewis/) ## Rachel Lewis Aug 7, 2017 4:30 PM UTC [At least 10 passengers needed hospital treatment](http://time.com/4889529/american-airlines-flight-turbulence/) after extreme turbulence affected a flight from Athens to Philadelphia this weekend. Those 10 people have all been released from hospital, according to [ABC News](http://abcnews.go.com/US/extreme-turbulence-american-airlines-flight-sends-10-board/story?id=49064208), but should turbulence be something to worry about? Turbulence is the most common form of air injury and around 58 people in the U.S. are injured this way every year, [according to the Federal Aviation Administration](https://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly%5Fsafe/turbulence/). However, among the 298 injuries, three of them fatal, the FAA attributes to turbulence between 1980 to 2008, 184 of those affected flight attendants and 114 affected passengers. In other words, a bumpy flight is nothing to be scared of, British Airways captain Steve Allright told the U.K. newspaper [_The Telegraph_](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-truths/turbulence-explained-is-it-dangerous/). “Every day I fly, I expect a small amount of turbulence, just as I’d expect the odd bump in the road on the drive to work,” he said. Flight crews have a [scale of severity](http://www.navyaircrew.com/blog/2009/08/30/light-moderate-or-severe-turbulencehow-are-they-defined/) for turbulence: light, moderate, severe and extreme. Moderate turbulence does not scare pilots, according to Allright, who also said extreme turbulence is rare but not dangerous. “In a flying career of over 10,000 hours, I have experienced severe turbulence for about five minutes in total,” he said. Pilots, however, “don’t get more than a general warning” about turbulence, retired US Airways pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger [told USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2014/07/10/5-myths-about-air-turbulence/12301043/). While flying, pilots must rely on reports from other aircraft and then consider whether they can adjust their altitude to avoid areas of reported turbulence. The best way for passengers to stay safe is to wear a seatbelt. Of the three fatalities between 1980 and 2008 in U.S. carriers due to turbulence, [according to the FAA](https://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly%5Fsafe/turbulence/), at least two of these passengers weren’t fastened in. “Keeping your seatbelt fastened is cheap insurance,” Sullenberger said. ## Transcript [00:00] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [00:03] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [00:06] Ladies [00:09] and [00:12] gentlemen, [00:15] this [00:18] is [00:21] your [00:24] captain. [00:27] We [00:30] really apologize for the unexpected [00:34] bumps. We expected some light turbulence and the [00:35] plane in front of us didn't report anything. It just [00:39] was totally [00:43] unexpected. We'll be back to cabin to make [00:46] assessment to make sure everybody is okay. And [00:50] again, we sincerely apologize. We don't anticipate any [00:53] more of that. We want to make sure, as always. Just [00:56] keep your seatbelt fasten. 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