Why Planes Cannot Fly in High Temperatures

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Why Planes Cannot Fly in High Temperatures

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento airplane accident lawyer. Planes are again being grounded as an extreme heat wave scorches California and the southwestern United States.

Why does the heat matter?

Heat is significant to aircraft operations because it impacts the density of the air. The hotter the air, the thinner or less dense it is. This makes it much harder for an aircraft to achieve the lift necessary for take-off.

Helicopters and planes that are able to take flight in extreme temperatures will often experience severe turbulence during flight.

Why can’t planes fly?

Planes need more thrust and a greater distance when taking off in extreme heat to compensate for the lack of lift in hot conditions. Some planes are therefore unable to fly because they do not have enough power to generate this thrust. These are often smaller aircraft with only one or two engines.

Planes may also be unable to fly based on the airport from which they take off. Planes need more distance when taking off in extreme temperatures in order to generate the forces necessary for flight. Therefore, if the runways at an airport are too short, planes may also be unable to fly.

Why can some planes fly and others cannot?

Some planes can still fly in extremely hot temperatures because they have larger engines. Additionally, lighter weight aircraft may still be able to take off. These planes require less lift to fly, so lift lost to high temperatures have less of an impact.

Airlines will therefore sell less seats and take other measures to reduce weight when flying near areas of high temperatures.

Why do high temperatures cause turbulence?

Those planes that are able to fly in high temperatures will often experience moderate to extreme turbulence during flight. This is because the thinner air also makes it harder for the plane to stay aflight. This is especially true of small aircraft and those planes that fly at lower altitudes.

What kind of injuries can turbulence cause?

Extreme turbulence can cause severe injuries to plane passengers and crew. The most common injuries in incidents involving severe turbulence are head injuries from falling luggage and spinal injuries from people being thrown into the air.

Do high temperatures impact helicopters, too?

Helicopters are also influenced by high temperatures. In their case, the thin, hot air means the rotors often struggle to create enough lift. With helicopters, this can be overcome by increasing engine power to the rotation of the rotors. The increased speed of the spinning blades can then generate more lift for the aircraft.

However, not all helicopters are capable of generating the power necessary. These helicopters therefore cannot fly in high temperatures. Reducing the weight of the aircraft can help, but it is much more difficult to shed weight from a helicopter.

Overall, helicopters can actually be more limited by extreme temperatures.

Do high temperatures impact people within the aircraft?

High external temperatures can impact people within a helicopter or plane, but this is fairly rare. External temperatures will only affect those people traveling in aircrafts where the fuselage is not pressurized. This excludes most commercial airlines from these conditions.

Do high temperatures impact the structure of the aircraft?

While high temperatures can definitely cause problems for airplanes and helicopters, they are unlikely to significantly damage aircraft structures and impact passengers.

Sacramento Airplane Accident Attorney

I am Ed Smith and I am a Sacramento airplane accident attorney. If you or a loved one has been injured or passed away in an airplane crash, please call me right away for free, friendly advice at (916) 921-6400. You can also call me toll free at (800) 404-5400.

I have practiced personal injury law in northern California for over three decades. During this time I have also worked as a California helicopter accident lawyer.

Visit my Past Verdicts and Settlements page.

To see how we have helped others, read our reviews: Yelp, Avvo, and Google.

I also earned a membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum with my successful case history.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, LancairIV by Ahunt at English Wikipedia. Public Domain.
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