Wow, yeah, this can happen. In and near thunderstorms updrafts and downdrafts can well exceed 100 miles per hour. If you fly into one, the plane is almost instantly accelerated up or down, 0 to 100 MPH. This can slam you into the ceiling.
As a sailplane pilot, we actively seek updrafts and use them to gain altitude. It can get pretty rough (and fun) but you always have a seatbelt on tight. Commercial planes try their best to avoid these things but occasionally get caught.
https://www.khon2.com/local-news/mass-casualty-emergency-at-honolulu-airport-36-patients-treated/
@shuttersparks Whoa 😮 I didn't realize turbulence could ever be more than a little rattling. That's scary 🥶
@april Yeah, it can get real rough. Bear in mind that hailstones grow by being blown up and down in a t-storm. Down, picks up moisture, up to the freezing cold, back down to pick up another layer of moisture, and so on. Imagine the wind it takes to blow a baseball-sized hailstone upwards.
I once suffered some costly damage to the plane by flying close to but outside of a t-storm. I didn't realize that t-storms sometimes throw hail out sideways into clear air. They do.
