August 3, 2009
0930:13 z
UNISYS Water Vapor GOES East Satellite (click here for 12 hour loop)
There is a air mass interface within the Turks and Caicos Islands that the Boeing 767 airplane interacted with causing it the turbulence the pilot reported.
There is a vortex off the east coast of the USA. There is a 'darker line' south of that vortex in this image. It is that 'darker line' that is an interface between two air masses. The interface is where air pressure differences result causing the turbulence. There were significant injuries because the plane was at cruising altitude and passengers had their seat belts off.
The Boeing 767 is really one of the safest planes in the air. It has crashed, but, they are from human error. They are also the 'airplane of choice' for terrorists and certainly were on September 11, 2001. But, the Boeing plane itself has never been the issue in any crash. In this case, the passengers faired far better than if they were in a different plane.
When flying in any plane, always wear your seatbelt unless you have to move around. It simply makes sense. It is a safety thing.
