Can Turbulence Cause A Plane To Crash?

Although in its worst form, turbulence may scare passengers to the point where they start praying, it’s very, very rare for turbulence to be powerful enough to actually bring a plane down. Based on severity, airplane turbulence is often classified into three categories: mild, moderate, and severe. In mild turbulence, an airplane might sustain a few feet of altitude loss. While a bit scary for kids and people who don’t fly that often, mild turbulence is routine and considered nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Moderate turbulence may entail a deviation of 10-20 feet in altitude and last for 10-15 minutes. This can potentially unnerve even frequent fliers and cause drinks to spill. Severe turbulence, as the name implies, is the nastiest form of turbulence that a plane might run into. It may cause the plane to drop by 80-100 feet, and a significant rattling noise will be heard in the fuselage.