Air carriers encounter turbulence every day and I wouldnt be surprised if it causes minor injuries nearly as often that we just dont hear about. On Sunday, a U.S. Airways flight departing Philadelphia caught some nasty bumps over Delaware that bounced people off the overheads and injured a few passengers and at least one flight attendant. As these things go, it wasnt at all an exceptional example of how bad things can get. When the flight has to be met by a half dozen ambulances and paramedics, the encounter was serious. This one didnt require that. But check out these photos of a Singapore Airlines A380 that hit extreme turbulence on the way to London last summer. The coffee splat on the cabin ceiling was an especially dramatic touch.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/flight-safety/sit-the-down