Singapore Airlines flight hits turbulence, 1 dead, 7 critically injured (reuters.com)

What was it before now then?

I cannot pinpoint the source, but for the last two decades, it _feels_ like it is common knowledge that the airframe can tolerate a lot more abuse than the passengers, especially unbuckled ones, can.

Obviously anecdata on my part, but it is interesting to encounter differing situational understanding which remind of non-universal assumptions.