According to new figures released by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 33 airline passengers and 11 crewmembers were seriously injured during bouts of in-flight turbulence in 2016 – more than double the number injured in 2015.
The FAA reports show that seven passengers and 14 crewmembers were injured in 2015. The worst reported year in the past 15 years was 2009, when 80 passengers and 26 crewmembers were seriously injured during episodes of turbulence.
A serious injury, as defined by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, is an injury that results in a fracture in any bone and/or involves any internal organ; causes severe hemorrhages, nerve, muscle or tendon damage; or involves second- or third-degree burns. It must also require a more than 48-hour hospitalization within a week from when the injury was received.
In its report, the FAA said that passengers can reduce the risk of injury by keeping their seat belts fastened at all times. It also recommended that air carriers improve dispatch procedures, including turbulence reports in weather briefings and providing real-time information sharing between pilot and dispatcher.