Death On Private Jet Diverted To CT Shows Rare Extreme Of Turbulence

WINDSOR-LOCKS, CT — The death of a Maryland woman who was critically injured during severe turbulence on a business jet flying from New Hampshire to Virginia was a rare occurrence.

Dana Hyde, 55, a former White House official, was identified as the woman who died after being injured during severe turbulence while flying with her husband and one of her sons on a plane owned by rural broadband consulting firm Conexon, the company told The Washington Post.

The private jet was diverted to Bradley International Airport and Hyde was taken to a Hartford hospital, where she died, police said.

It’s unknown what happened on the flight and air safety investigators are expected to issue a preliminary report in two-three weeks.

Experts agreed that a death caused by turbulence is extremely rare and while injuries can occur, airplanes are designed with safety in mind and regulations on board — like wearing seatbelts — are meant to keep passengers safe.

What Is A Trim Issue?

The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday they are looking at a reported "trim issue" that occurred prior to the turbulence on the jet diverted to Connecticut. Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration instructed pilots flying the same model of Bombardier aircraft to take extra pre-flight measures after trim problems had been reported.

Michael J. McCormick, an assistant professor of aviation science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, explained to Patch that all planes are equipped with the ability to make fine adjustments in the width of the aircraft so it can fly more smoothly with less direct input from the pilots.

"The pilot doesn’t need to constantly be moving the yoke up and down, left and right," McCormick said. "Trimming the aircraft basically balances the aircraft and the airflow so it flies more smoothly."

While information about the flight on which Hyde died is needed to determine what the reported trim issue was and whether it might have contributed to the accident, McCormick said that generally speaking, "a trim issue could be that the aircraft was not properly trimmed by the flight crew, meaning that they did not make the small adjustments as necessary to trim the aircraft so that it minimizes the airflow while still generating lift."

Bombardier, the Canadian manufacturer of the jet, said in a statement to The Associated Press that it cannot comment on the potential cause of the in-flight problem but extended its “deepest sympathies to all those affected by this accident.”

“We stand behind our aircraft, which are designed to be robust and reliable in accordance with Transport Canada and all international airworthiness standards,” the company said.

What Is Turbulence?

Turbulence is air movement created by atmospheric pressure, jet streams, or cold or warm weather fronts moving through with thunderstorms, which can give airplanes a sudden jolt, Dr. Hassan Shahidi, President and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, explained to Patch.

"The most dangerous type is what’s known as clear air turbulence, which happens at altitude—30,000 feet and is difficult to predict," Shahidi said. "It has no warning signs. An airplane hits an air pocket, and it jolts the airplane."

As the name suggests, clear air turbulence is associated with clear skies and pilots can’t see it, McCormich told Patch.

When turbulence hits, flight attendants who are up and around in the are most often injured, McCormick explained. According to data from the FAA, of the 146 injures recorded due to turbulence between 2009-2021, 116 of them were among crew. There have been no deaths recorded in that time period.

"Generally, that’s why overhead compartments are closed when someone is not accessing them to prevent the risk of something falling out," McCormick said. "But it could be that objects fall from drink carts, or the person might fall themselves."

To prevent these injuries, all passengers should remove or stow any loose items, McCormick suggests.

In addition, people who are not buckled up can be thrown around the aircraft, potentially suffering serious injuries, Shahidi said.

Private Vs. Commercial Air Travel

While both experts emphasized that death and serious injury caused by turbulence are extremely rare, they explained how certain factors of private air travel can increase the risk of turbulence and injury to passengers.

"Private airplanes are lighter in terms of weight compared to commercial airplanes, so they are more susceptible to severe turbulence," Shahidi said. "Therefore, it’s very important for passengers aboard those flights to wear their seatbelts."

McCormick says that in general, commercial aviation is the safest form of transportation in the United States.

"It has a much lower accident and injury rate than what is known as general aviation, which is the smaller aircraft that we see flying, including private jets," McCormick explained. "That has to do not just with the size of the aircraft, but also with the experience level of the air crews. There are additional safety constraints placed on commercial air traffic, additional training requirements for flight crews, and additional training requirements for air crews."

Regulations for all flights—commercial or otherwise—mandate that all passengers wear their seatbelts, Shahidi said. In fact, private planes often have shoulder harnesses in addition to seatbelts to make travel safe even on flights with couches and space to lounge.

There is also one way in which flights on private planes can be safer than those on commercial planes, Shahidi added.

"A lot of times, private planes don’t fly at altitudes as high as commercial, passenger planes do," he said. "Clear air turbulence happen at altitude—30,000 feet—so you don’t have as many severe instances of turbulence when flying at lower altitudes."

Keeping Passengers Safe From Turbulence

Both experts explained that there are many ways pilots and air traffic control work to keep passengers and crew safe during flights. For example, McCormick explained, all pilots have access to data gathered by air traffic control about where turbulence has been recorded.

"Often, what happens is if turbulence is recorded at one altitude, then the pilot may ask for another altitude at which they can fly to avoid turbulence and increase comfort for the passengers and the aircrew," McCormick said.

In addition, aircrafts are designed to be able to withstand severe turbulence, and to mitigate the risk of sudden changes in speed as the result of wind shear, or a difference in wind speed or direction over a relatively short distance. There are alert systems in all major air traffic control towers in the United States that can warn pilots about wind shear, according to McCormick.

And the best way for passengers to keep themselves and others safe is always to remain seated with their seatbelts fastened even when the seatbelt light is turned off, he said.

“There is always that risk of running into some unpredictable turbulence that could cause injury," McCormick said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.