Severe Turbulence Sends Food Cart Tumbling on an American Airlines Flight (Video)
"Please keep your seat belt fastened at all times, even when the seat belt sign is turned off." This is something we hear on every flight we take. Although pilots oftentimes have an indication of turbulence and are able to turn on the seat belt sign in advance, sometimes, there's no warning.
An incident on board a recent American Airlines flight from Miami (MIA) to Buenos Aires (EZE) serves as a stark reminder for why it's important to remain buckled up at all times — even when the sign is off. The flight encountered unexpected turbulence, and although it appears that everyone was able to get to their seats quickly, the flight attendants didn't have time to secure the food and beverage carts in the galley, and well, this happened:
Fortunately, no one was injured from the tumbling carts on this flight, but there have been similar incidents with worse outcomes in the past. After all, those carts weigh upward of 200 pounds each. In May 2017, an Aeroflot flight encountered severe turbulence that left dozens of passengers who didn't have their seat belts fastened injured, and a similar incident also occurred on a United flight.
When sharing tips for dealing with turbulence, flight attendant insider, Carrie A. Trey, told us, "It doesn't matter how many times we tell you to keep them fastened, most people do not. They come unbuckled the second we're off the ground, and often halfway down the runway on landing. That little belt, however, is the only thing preventing you from making an impression of your head in the panel above you."
If you're unsettled by turbulence, you may want to consider using tools like the SkyGuru app or the Turbulence Forecast service to get a better idea of when to expect turbulence.
At this point, it's unclear whether the passengers on this flight were compensated for not having their pre-arrival meal.
H/T: View From The Wing
Featured photo by Katie Collins / PA Images / Getty Images.