Have you ever been on a plane you thought was about to crash?

[FloridaMan88]

5 years ago I was flying on a small plane from Miami to Gainesville, FL and there were two hurricanes off the coast of Florida, in addition to the usual Florida summer thunderstorms.

For the entire flight the plane jumped up and plunged down several hundred feet (at least). Several people on the plane were throwing up from motion sickness and the only flight attendant on the airplane was crying and praying.

I took 4 Tylenol PM tablets to knock myself out and when I woke up, we had landed at the Gainesville airport and the plane was a mess... food, beverages spilled everywhere, and several passengers had bruises and scratches (I had a large bruise on my knee apparently from banging my knee against the seat in front me during the turbulence).

[teedubya]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

5 years ago I was flying on a small plane from Miami to Gainesville, FL and there were two hurricanes off the coast of Florida, in addition to the usual Florida summer thunderstorms.

For the entire flight the plane jumped up and plunged down several hundred feet (at least). Several people on the plane were throwing up from motion sickness and the only flight attendant on the airplane was crying and praying.

I took 4 Tylenol PM tablets to knock myself out and when I woke up, we had landed at the Gainesville airport and the plane was a mess... food, beverages spilled everywhere, and several passengers had bruises and stratches (I had a large bruise on my knee apparently from banging my knee against the seat in front me during the turbulence).

Holy shit, man...

You know... in the grand scheme of things, it's amazing how few plane crashes there are... I kept telling myself that last night. Trying to psyche myself up... Oh, planes don't crash...

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by teedubya

Holy shit, man...

You know... in the grand scheme of things, it's amazing how few plane crashes there are... I kept telling myself that last night. Trying to psyche myself up... Oh, planes don't crash...

Yeah, dude you know me. Mr. Gotta Look At This Rationally. I'm scared to death of flying but the statistics just aren't there.

You have a better chance of getting mauled to death by a rabid badger than dying in a plane crash.

[Ecto-I]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Yeah, dude you know me. Mr. Gotta Look At This Rationally. I'm scared to death of flying but the statistics just aren't there.

You have a better chance of getting mauled to death by a rabid badger than dying in a plane crash.

When I used to go to college in San Luis Obsipo, I had to take one of those small commuter planes from LA to SLO. Those things were awful. Almost every flight had turbulence, and many were pretty scary. Then I start to think "well, I wonder if the FAA thinks 'gee, there's only 20 people on this flight so a crash wouldn't be a COMPLETE disaster'".

But yes, the bottom line is planes don't crash. As scary as it is to think that a bunch of people are bunched into this metal capsule just barreling through the sky at 20,000 ft, flying is probably the safest means of travel.

[Otter]

Worst flight was landing in Chicago during some wicked turbulance. The guy behind me threw up and was crying. I figured if we actually crash it was going to be quick but it was not fun.

That was a white knucle experience for all. Even the flight attendents couldn't put on a smiley face when we landed.

[RINGLEADER]

Three times.

Recently flying into KC from LA and we drove straight into a thunderstorm. He tried to land twice but after getting spit out of the cloud a second time he turned tail and we went to Omaha to wait it out. If they would have opened the doors and let us out I would have finished that trip in a car. My P&M were watching the progress of the flight on the computer and told me they knew it was bad as the plane slowly made its way into a bright red glob of pixels on the screen and they saw the air speed go to 0 MPH. On the plane it felt like we went to 0 MPH too.

The second time was flying into Phoenix in the middle of 60 MPH winds. We were dropping, moving side-ways, up-and-down. The pilot was extending flaps, retracting flaps, and eventually I got the sense that he just pushed down to push through the layer of bad weather and got us through it. It was surreal though because while I'm seeing my impending doom, everyone else on the plane is laughing and whooping it up about how much fun they're having and how this is much better than the stupid rides at Disneyland. After we landed I had to immediately go and get on another plane for the next leg of my trip to KC via Greyhound Airways (aka Southwest, who back in the day would take you from Ontario, CA to Phoenix, then to Albuquerque, then to Oklahoma City, then to KC) which I dreaded, but it wasn't so bad taking off.

The first (and worst) time was taking a puddle-jumper from Victoria Island, BC to Seattle to go through customs. We were on final approach, everything was fine, then BOOM. Suddenly the plane is sideways and the pilot has the engines rev'd as high as they'll go as he tries to pull out before we hit the ground. Fortunately he succeeded. Afterwards the guy I was with was talking to the pilot and he said the ATC screwed up and had him descend into the jet wash of a 747 - which evidently was akin to running into a brick wall.

Anyway, I may not have crashed, but at least I got some material to post on ChiefsPlanet...

[seclark]

flew from kv to mitchell, sd on a kingair for a quick meeting one time. my boss got airsick and puked all over everything. no one was frightened, but it stunk like holy hell.
sec

[munkey]

Originally Posted by RINGLEADER

The first (and worst) time was taking a puddle-jumper from Victoria Island, BC to Seattle to go through customs. We were on final approach, everything was fine, then BOOM. Suddenly the plane is sideways and the pilot has the engines rev'd as high as they'll go as he tries to pull out before we hit the ground. Fortunately he succeeded. Afterwards the guy I was with was talking to the pilot and he said the ATC screwed up and had him descend into the jet wash of a 747 - which evidently was akin to running into a brick wall.

I had the same experience between Portland and Seattle...Not a fun flight what's so ever....

[Easy 6]

Yep, coming home for leave from Alaska, surprised i didnt come away with a big white streak in my hair.

We had to switch planes in minneapolis for the run to chicago, and that was the worst experience of our lives... repeated lightning strikes to the plane, huge variations in altitude being forced onto it by winds, people were praying, the kids were with us, we were praying and holding each other tight.

When we finally landed even the stewardesses were visibly shaking like leaves, their voices quavering, and the captain etc didnt even bother to come up to say bye.

It SUCKED, and is the primary reason it will take an act of God to get me back into a plane again... i HATE that feeling of having O control over my own fate and the thought of having minutes to contemplate my own/family demise on the way down.

[KCFaninSEA]

I took a puddle jumper from Honolulu to Kauai in '95 where the cross winds were awful. I was on the window and as we were landing all I could see out the window was sky, ground, sky, ground. Over and over. Turbulence is one thing but landing in heavy cross winds was terrible. Sometimes it can be hairy getting into San Diego also. You wouldn't think that but it has been an adventure a couple of times for me there.

[HolyHat]

Originally Posted by teedubya

I was in Chicago for a speaking event at the University of Chicago's School of Business yesterday... and my flight kept getting delayed from 5pm to 7:30pm... to finally 10:15pm. And the flight from Chicago to KC felt like it was going to crash.

That was the most intense, turbulent flight, out of easily over 100 flights that, I've ever experienced... I was lifted up off my seat several times and it shook open overhead bins. The pilot fought to keep the wings balanced through approximately 45 minutes of thinking this may be my last day on Earth.

I'm still nauseous, although grateful to be alive and on the ground... count your blessings today and hug your loved ones. You never know when it's your time to leave this rock. ♥

Now tomorrow morning, I fly to New Orleans. UGH. Don't feel like flying right now, actually. I need more than a day to get my balls to descend.

Has anything similar happened to you?

Last night was crazy windy, and with the storm that was brewing im surprised they didnt delay you until today.

[teedubya]

Originally Posted by @KCsporting

Last night was crazy windy, and with the storm that was brewing im surprised they didnt delay you until today.

I would have preferred to delay it, actually. I'd like to see a satellite photo of that storm... anyone know where they keep those?

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by teedubya

I would have preferred to delay it, actually. I'd like to see a satellite photo of that storm... anyone know where they keep those?

http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/satellite/

[SAUTO]

flying back from new york city we dropped so much the flight attendants fell down and the tough new york guys were screaming like little girls.

then they got on the intercom and asked for special agent jeff lanza to the cockpit immediately. this was in 2002 BTW.


yeah we thought we were going down

[dmahurin]

I flew from KCI to Vegas a few years ago and right after takeoff we started to bank to the left. The pilot banked to hard and the engine cut out. We dropped about 100 feet of altitude in no time flat. He got the plane leveled out and the engine started. Climbed a little more and went to turn again and the engine did it again. The second time we dropped even further. I had a window seat facing down at the ground. I was convinced I was dead. I'll never fly fun jet again.