Severe Turbulence in a 172

Stingray Don

Stingray Don

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Stingray Don
I saw this posted on Facebook. I just posted the pic rather than the link since others may not have Facebook accounts or be a member of the group. How could a 172 survive this?

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I've flown up to / nearish / around lines like that, every time I had a plan and lots of fuel to run the other way.
 
Better yet, stay the heck away from convective activity. If that radar was current at the time the PIREP was issued, that plane was much too close to the bad stuff for comfort.
 
How do you know a 172 really attempted it? All I see is the weather overlay in FF. No airplane icon on there that I can find, though I do suck at “where’s Waldo”
 
Maybe he did what pilots have done for a long time..... looked out the window.
 
Good place to practice upset recovery.
 
If I recall correctly, the degree of turbulence will impact different airframes differently. For example, a Cessna 172 report of severe turbulence will not be taken as seriously by a Boeing 737 or in the same way. However, ATC has to pass a severe turbulence report to all aircraft regardless of the type of aircraft that submits the report.
 
Is the radar image concurrent with when the pirep was issued? Either way, probably learned a lesson or two that day!
 
Severe is when you would gladly get out and walk......
 
Could very well have gotten the turbulence some distance from the squall line. I've also seen people greatly exaggerate the intensity of turbulence. Moderate turbulence is not fun, and if you haven't experienced it before, you'll think you are in severe, and may report it as such. Honest to goodness severe isn't that common.
 
Erice said:
If I recall correctly, the degree of turbulence will impact different airframes differently. For example, a Cessna 172 report of severe turbulence will not be taken as seriously by a Boeing 737 or in the same way. However, ATC has to pass a severe turbulence report to all aircraft regardless of the type of aircraft that submits the report.
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According to the handy “Aircraft Turbulence Intensity Conversion Chart,” Severe turbulence in a C-172 will be Moderate in a 757, but Moderate to Occasional Severe in an MD-80 or SR-20.
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Airliners usually don't experience server turbulence - usually it's extremely moderate turbulence. ..
 
Stingray Don said:
Check the location of the pirep. Also reported as TB Sev.
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One thing I see occasionally is that pilots don't know what characteristics actually define the different intensities of turbulence.

More than once I have heard reports of "severe" turbulence that, upon further investigation, were actually more like "moderate" but over-reported due to ignorance on the part of the PIREP'er.
 
Dan Thomas said:
turbulence7.jpg
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The more complete version of this table in the AIM includes (to the warm comfort of the airline peeps in the room) accompanying definitions for "light chop" and "moderate chop".
 
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