Getting Caught Down Low

Most thunderstorm-related accidents happen when departing or approaching the airport. Flying near the convective cloud bases exposes you to the most dangerous aspects of a thunderstorm. Reduced visibility, low ceilings, hail, strong straight-line winds and lightning are all possibilities, but more imperceptible hazards lurk.

Key Takeaways:

• Most thunderstorm-related accidents occur during airport departure or approach, exposing aircraft to both visible hazards (e.g., hail, strong winds) and more imperceptible dangers.
• All thunderstorms produce hard-to-see outflow boundaries, or gust fronts, which are cold, stable air spreading outward and can be extremely hazardous.
• Dangerous downbursts and microbursts, capable of producing hurricane-force winds, can unexpectedly originate from benign-looking, high-based thunderstorms, particularly in environments with dry air below.

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