A Delta Airlines flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Wednesday evening after encountering severe turbulence that left dozens injured.
The Airbus A330-900, carrying 275 passengers and 13 crew members, had departed from Salt Lake City at 4:30 p.m. local time and was just over two hours into its nine-hour journey when the turbulence struck.
The turbulence was so severe that it threw unbelted passengers and service carts into the ceiling, causing injuries.
One passenger, Leann Clement-Nash, described the incident, saying, “If you didn’t have your seatbelt on, you hit the ceiling, and then you fell to the ground.
”It happened several times, and it was really scary.”
The plane landed safely in Minneapolis at approximately 7:45 p.m. local time, where medical teams were waiting to provide assistance.
In a statement, Delta said it is “working with customers to support their immediate needs” and expressed concern for those affected.
The airline has not yet disclosed the nature of the injuries sustained or the severity of the turbulence.
According to Delta, 25 individuals were transported to local hospitals for further treatment following on-site evaluations.
The airline expressed concern for those affected and said that it was “working with customers to support their immediate needs.”
The nature of the injuries sustained and the severity of the turbulence have not been disclosed.
By Thursday afternoon, Delta said that most of the 25 passengers have been released from the hospital.
Severe turbulence incidents like this are relatively rare but can be dangerous.
According to data from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, 207 people have sustained serious injuries due to turbulence, defined as requiring hospitalisation for more than 48 hours, since 2009.
Industry estimates suggested that globally, about 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence occur annually, out of more than 35 million flights.
Severe turbulence is described as air disturbances strong enough to generate more than 1.5 g-forces, enough to lift unrestrained passengers from their seats
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that it would conduct a thorough investigation into this incident.
Safety experts reiterated that turbulence, while common, could be dangerous when passengers are not wearing seatbelts.
Airlines globally are updating safety instructions amid a rise in such events.
AFP
