Guide

Why Does a Plane Shake? What Actually Causes Turbulence

Turbulence is the plane flying through uneven air: heat off the ground, wind over mountains, jet streams, and aircraft wakes. Here is what each one is, and how pilots forecast it.

Guide

Can Turbulence Flip or Crash a Plane?

In practical terms, no. Airliners are certified to 1.5 times their maximum expected load, and the NTSB found no turbulence-related structural damage in a decade of US flying.

Guide

Is Turbulence Dangerous?

No. On a US airline, the last turbulence death recorded by the NTSB was in 1997, and of 123 people seriously hurt over a decade, only one wore a seat belt. Here is why.