National Study Investigates Air Turbulence

July 14- KGO (KGO) -- When it comes to commercial airplanes, not all turbulence is created equal. There is a new national study underway to help pilots predict so called "clear air turbulence" for the first time.

Clear air turbulence injured passengers and forced an emergency landing in Australia on a United Airlines flight four years ago.

Passenger: "The plane went up and up like a balloon and down we came with a thump!"

This new $81.5 million National Science Foundation Gulfstream Five is trying to do what's never been done before. Learn enough about clear air turbulence to make it predictable. And prevent passenger injuries and death.

Ron Smith, Yale scientist: "I think the holy grail for weather forecasting of weather aviation is being able to forecast when and where commercial airlines are going to encounter turbulence."

The study plane is loaded with a team of scientists and state of the art equipment.

This week, it flew its first mission over the Sierra Nevada mountain range, where wind conditions most often create clear-air turbulence.

Though ABC7 News aviation consultant Ron Wilson says it can happen anywhere.

Ron Wilson: "But seven years ago this United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco was flying at only 24 thousand feet when turbulence injured passengers and crew.

John Rothschild, injured passenger: "There was a stewardess serving drinks and she bent the seat."

Wilson says airplanes are built to withstand this kind of turbulence, but people are not.

The lesson learned is that it's best to keep your seatbelt on even when the seatbelt sign is off.

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