An aircraft unexpectedly encountering turbulence (clear air or convective turbulence)

A turbulence encounter may result in passenger or crew injuries, with greater exposure to injury if passengers are not wearing seat belts at the time of the encounter. In severe turbulence, aircraft damage may be sustained if the airframe is overstressed.

Convective turbulence is typically found in the vicinity of cloud and can largely be predicted. It can therefore be effectively mitigated by routine flight planning and the use of the weather radar by flight crew to avoid weather cells.

However, clear air turbulence is typically more challenging to predict and presents the threat with the potentially more significant outcome for this safety issue.

Research suggests that with climate changes turbulence encounters may increase in both strength and frequency.