Posted: 1/11/2026 4:10:33 PM EDT
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So I was on a flight from DTW to GRR this past Thursday and we hit some "bad" turbulence. All things considered i didnt think it was terrible, but of course some people were freaking out. Captain was standing there while we were deplaning and he said they reported it as severe turbulence. I listened back to approach to GRR on ATC live and confirmed they did report it this way. My question is: after reporting severe turbulence is there a required maintenance check? Or is it a visual inspection and send it on? Curious of the protocol here. |
| CRJ 900 and we were definitely the first to fly through it. A front was coming through and the preceeding aircraft reported moderate turbulence per ATC. I figured it would cause some extra work, wonder why they reported it as so. As I said it was bad, but not anything life threatening. A couple of dropped water bottles was it. |
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Originally Posted By drewptwo: CRJ 900 and we were definitely the first to fly through it. A front was coming through and the preceeding aircraft reported moderate turbulence per ATC. I figured it would cause some extra work, wonder why they reported it as so. As I said it was bad, but not anything life threatening. A couple of dropped water bottles was it. been there done that |
Mach
Nobody is coming to save us.
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Nobody is coming to save us.
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I work on CRJ-900s, and it's about coinflip odds that the plane you were on is one that I work on occasionally. Turbulence can be written up just like any other issue with the airplane. The pilots report a problem, and maintenance documents the solution. The aircraft maintenance manual for the CRJ-900 has an inspection procedure for "severe turbulence, buffeting, or maneuver damage." There is a visual inspection, where you're looking for bends, cracks, pulled loose or missing fasteners, fuel leaks, and hydraulic leaks. Those are external inspections, but if you find damage then there is a more in-depth internal inspection to do, as well as addressing the damage that was found. In addition to the inspections, the flight data recorder information needs to be downloaded and analyzed. The way that part works is a mechanic downloads that from the FDR and sends the files to someone else to analyze. That will tell them if anything else needs to be done. |
The government is just a corporation with a monopoly on violence.
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Originally Posted By Gingerbreadman: I work on CRJ-900s, and it's about coinflip odds that the plane you were on is one that I work on occasionally. Turbulence can be written up just like any other issue with the airplane. The pilots report a problem, and maintenance documents the solution. The aircraft maintenance manual for the CRJ-900 has an inspection procedure for "severe turbulence, buffeting, or maneuver damage." There is a visual inspection, where you're looking for bends, cracks, pulled loose or missing fasteners, fuel leaks, and hydraulic leaks. Those are external inspections, but if you find damage then there is a more in-depth internal inspection to do, as well as addressing the damage that was found. In addition to the inspections, the flight data recorder information needs to be downloaded and analyzed. The way that part works is a mechanic downloads that from the FDR and sends the files to someone else to analyze. That will tell them if anything else needs to be done. Thanks for the insight. Did notice one of the pilots get out at the gate after landing before we deplaned and did a walk around. The part of the story I forgot to tell is the gate agent pulled the jet bridge up and ran it unevenly into the aircraft. She broke it and couldn't reverse it to fix the problem. The auto level in the jet bridge was not active due to this. We had to get off one at a time. Whole thing was kind of a shit show. Pretty sure it was DL 4088 on 1/8 if anyone has access to records and is curious. |
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Originally Posted By drewptwo: Thanks for the insight. Did notice one of the pilots get out at the gate after landing before we deplaned and did a walk around. The part of the story I forgot to tell is the gate agent pulled the jet bridge up and ran it unevenly into the aircraft. She broke it and couldn't reverse it to fix the problem. The auto level in the jet bridge was not active due to this. We had to get off one at a time. Whole thing was kind of a shit show. Pretty sure it was DL 4088 on 1/8 if anyone has access to records and is curious. Post flight walk around is done on every flight. On my quite large jet it takes about 3 minutes. Longer if I’m looking for something specific. |
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In over 50 years of flying, I've only had severe turbulence encounters a few times. It always sucks! That said, actual severe is anything with a 'G" load over 1.7G's. Not really much in the real world when you think about it. But to the unfamiliar, it feels horrendous. |
Dave Funk
Past President and now a Board of Directors member Iowa Firearms Coalition.
Past President and now a Board of Directors member Iowa Firearms Coalition.
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Turbulence definitions https://www.boldmethod.com/blog/lists/2025/08/the-6-types-of-turbulence-and-how-to-report-them/ Were you forced violently against the seatbelt? |
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As a Captain, I was always able to avoid severe turbulence. As a passenger not so much. Everybody was strapped in and service was stopped and I was just sitting there bouncing up and down then all of a sudden everything, and I mean everything not with a seatbelt, was up against the ceiling and I sat there in awe as it all just hung up against the ceiling. I was so amazed at seeing everything, cokes, coffee, peanuts, purses, laptops, kids toys, back packs, small bags, napkins, water bottles, books, nooks, phones, etc. It was pretty neat to see, and while I was enjoys the " wow look at everything up against the ceiling moment with the wife" it all came down just as fast and people started screaming and crying. I loosened my belt stood up a little and waved my hands and yelled "hey, hey, listen to me, I am an airline pilot and that was nothing, it's all over so calm down. Everybody will be fine I have seen way worse than that" and my wife said " you have seen way worse than that?" and i said " hell no that was the worst I ever saw, but the screaming and crying was giving me a head ache" |
Mach
Nobody is coming to save us.
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Nobody is coming to save us.
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I've had an idea for a while now, but it would be very difficult to actually implement for many reasons. On windy days, park an airliner out in the open and have people with fear of turbulence spend 10-15 minutes just seated inside. Maybe even have someone outside grab a wingtip and give it a good shake. Let people see just how much movement you can feel on a plane that's not going anywhere. Might help someone get over some flight anxiety. I've had my head get bounced off the wall in a surprise bout of clear air turbulence. Just the one jolt and things went back to normal. Then everyone got nervous again because right after that everyone saw the Captain stumble out of the forward lavatory, stuffing his shirt into his pants with one hand while trying to re-enter the cockpit with the other hand. Normally, turbulence helps me sleep. If I'm stuck in an aisle seat, less people hip check my shoulder.... |
The government is just a corporation with a monopoly on violence.
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Originally Posted By LRShooter: Turbulence definitions https://www.boldmethod.com/blog/lists/2025/08/the-6-types-of-turbulence-and-how-to-report-them/ Were you forced violently against the seatbelt? Late in replying, but ironically sitting in the lounge right now at DTW for the same leg again and even leaving from the same gate! To answer your question, no I wasn't pushed into my seatbelt. I was snoozing when it started and the only thing that really happened was some water bottles and drinks went airborne slightly. Like I mean maybe an inch or two. That was about it. |
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Originally Posted By Geforce_2: I know some air frames have G force sensors. If the G forces on the plane trip a sensor, there's specific inspections and paperwork to do. Yep. They’ll tailor the inspection based on the accelerometer reading. Same with an overweight landing. Most people (including myself at various times) overestimate the level of turbulence they report. I’ve only been in severe turbulence a couple times in 40 years. The last time, it was leaving Austin and making a hard turn to north under the shelf of a thunderstorm out by the F1 track. It rocked us hard enough to kick off the autopilot in an A319. Called it in and wrote it up when we got to Charlotte. |
In America, the village idiots have organized.
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Originally Posted By TimeOnTarget: I never experienced anything stronger than some stout moderate in the 747, but coming off of Japan in the winter is always sporty! Buddy of mine got caught in a G550 out on the PACOTS with severe turbulence at all upper levels. Everyone—all the airlines, were reporting it from the low 30’s into the low 40’s where my buddy was. It lasted halfway to Alaska. Not a fun trip. |
In America, the village idiots have organized.
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Originally Posted By ZoomieFoosh: Couldn’t see the instruments we were shaking so bad in a C-5 off of Africa…that was the worst. Severe turbulence fucking sucks. Had that many times (Summer of ‘92, I’m looking at YOU!  ) in the DC-9 and -80. Can’t imagine a C-5 getting rocked like that.
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In America, the village idiots have organized.
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Originally Posted By AA717driver: Buddy of mine got caught in a G550 out on the PACOTS with severe turbulence at all upper levels. Everyone—all the airlines, were reporting it from the low 30’s into the low 40’s where my buddy was. It lasted halfway to Alaska. Not a fun trip. I have experienced those large areas over the North Pacific many times. It would be constant to the point that you could not get any sleep in the bunk... |
"I will leave when I have your wounded." MAJ Kelly