TURBULENCE
LISTENING PRACTICE - VERBS
Listening Activities for Pilots – TURBULENCE
INSTRUCTIONS:
1- Listen to the audio (1x) (without transcripts)
2- Listen to the audio (1x) (with transcripts)
3- Listen to the verbs used during a situation of turbulence onboard.
4- Do the fill-in the blanks exercises.
5- Answer the questions in each AUDIO SITUATION.
TURBULENCE
LISTENING PRACTICE - VERBS
AUDIO 01
A Republic Airlines Embraer ERJ-170, registration N871RW performing flight RW-2085
from New York La Guardia,NY to Kansas City,MO (USA) with 73 passengers and 4
crew, was descending towards Kansas City, when the airplane encountered an area
of moderate to severe turbulence. A flight attendant just trying to secure a trolley in the
aft galley was thrown against the ceiling and to the floor and broke her ankle.
The aircraft landed safely.
The NTSB reported, that air traffic control advised the crew of convective activity
around the airport and cleared the airplane to divert, where necessary due to weather.
The captain utilized the weather radar to determine a course, that would avoid the
thunderstorms, however anticipated turbulence. The first officer communicated the
warning to the flight attendants and passengers. The shortly later injured flight
attendant moved a beverage cart to the rear galley and was just attempting to secure
the trolley, when the airplane encountered a violent surge of turbulence. The flight
attendant was thrown upwards and down and fracturing her ankle.
To be descending towards / to encounter / to be thrown against / to break / to
advise / to clear / to utilize / to avoid / to communicate / to move / to attempt to
secure / to be thrown upwards
AUDIO 02
An Air Canada Airbus A319-100, registration C-GBHZ performing flight AC-190 from
Victoria, BC to Toronto, ON (Canada) with 83 passengers and 5 crew, was enroute at
FL350 overhead the US state of Washington trailing a United Airlines Boeing 747-400
at FL370, the distance between the two aircraft increasing. When the distance had
increased to 8.1nm the Airbus was cleared to climb to its planned cruise level FL370.
When the airplane climbed through FL366 about 10.7nm behind the leading United
747, the airplane encountered sharp jolts followed by a series of rolls. During the rolls
the airplane climbed to FL369 then descended to FL355 where the crew regained
straight and level flight. The crew declared emergency and diverted to Calgary, AB
(Canada), where the airplane landed safely. 3 people received serious injuries due to
falls and collisions with aircraft furnishings, 8 people received minor injuries.
to be enroute at / to increase / to be cleared to climb to / to climb through / to
encounter / to follow by / to declare / to divert to / to land / to receive
TURBULENCE
LISTENING PRACTICE - VERBS
AUDIO 03
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300, registration N648SW performing flight WN-111
from Birmingham, AL to Baltimore, MD (USA) with 98 passengers and 5 crew, had
already slowed to 250 KIAS and was descending through a layer of clouds at
approximately 13000 feet near La Plata, MD, when the airplane encountered
turbulence. One flight attendant working in the aft galley lifted from the floor and fell
back onto the floor twisting her left foot and receiving serious injuries. The airplane
landed safely, no further injuries occurred.
The NTSB released their final report concluding, that the probable cause of the
accident was an in-flight encounter with turbulence and the flight crew's failure to
advise the cabin crew about potential forecast turbulence, as reported by the flight
attendant.
The first officer was pilot flying and reported later in an interview, that there were no
reports of turbulence on the descent and arrival, the weather radar did not show any
significant weather. The airplane entered the clouds and picked up some light
turbulence, the first officer selected a closer range on the weather radar still without
any indication of significant weather, when the airplane experienced a moderate
vertical jolt and dropped suddenly. The airplane was in turbulence for less than a
minute.
The captain said, that the airplane encountered light turbulence and one moderate jolt,
which created a "momentary (less than 1 second) weightless experience."
to slow to / to be descending through / to encounter / to work in / to lift from /to
fall back onto / to occur / to advise / to report by / to enter / to pick up / to
experience / to drop
TURBULENCE
LISTENING PRACTICE - VERBS
AUDIO 04
A Lufthansa Airbus A319-100, registration D-AILD performing flight LH369 from
Bremen to Munich (Germany) with 128 passengers and 5 crew, was descending
through FL110 near Landshut towards Munich, when the airplane encountered
turbulence, which threw a flight attendant in the rear galley against the ceiling. The
flight attendant was unconscious for a brief period of time. The flight attendant was
brought to a hospital after landing, but could be sent home after a short stay.
The German BFU (Accident Investigation Bureau) released a factual report about the
accident ending the investigation with the factual report.
The German meteorological services (Deutscher Wetterdient DWD) reported, that that
day southern Germany was under the influence of a low pressure system residing
overhead the Alps, consisting of unstable layers of air masses, which moved slowly
and produced local rain and thunderstorm cells. The met services had warned of
isolated thunderstorm cells for the late afternoon and evening in the area of Munich.
Radar images by Met Services in Munich at 18:27 and 18:42 local time confirmed the
presence of strong radar precipitation echos north of Landshut.
The flight data recorder was examined and analysed by the BFU and confirmed
vertical accelerations between +1.51 and -0.15G around 16:15Z.
to be descending through / to throw / to be brought to / to be sent home / to
reside / to consist of / to move slowly / to produce / to warn of / to confirm / to be
examined / to be analysed`
