Several Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes Delta Flight into Sydney, Australia
Multiple passengers and crew sustained injuries following a Delta jet originating in LA to Sydney was hit by significant turbulence this past Friday.
Delta Flight 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at the Sydney airport, an airline spokesperson told. A number of the onboard staff required medical attention.
Emergency medical services stated they evaluated five individuals, and transported three to a medical facility with minor injuries that such as back pain and head pain. The injured spanned from their thirties and seventies.
The event represents the most recent case of aircraft being hit by severe turbulence, with researchers saying that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.
On board were 245 passengers and a crew of 15 on the Airbus A350, the official noted, clarifying that the plane touched down "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.
Emergency responders indicated they got a call just a mere three minutes prior to the plane landed, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.
Why plane turbulence is growing more frequent - and potentially more dangerous.
During the past year, 25 people were injured when a separate Delta aircraft, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "considerable" turbulence just two hours into the transoceanic journey, and had to make an emergency landing.
Recently, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines jet experienced a harrowing five seconds bout of severe turbulence. A traveler passed away and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and fell back down.
Bumpy air is not uncommon during flights, and while cases of significant turbulence appear to be increasing, they are remained quite uncommon.
Estimates show that there are around 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a total of over 35 million flights that now take off worldwide.
Severe turbulence is categorized as when the up and down movements of a plane passing through rough air masses generate greater than a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to throw you from your seat if you did not have on a seatbelt.
As climate change modifies the conditions in the sky, experts warn that flying could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are likely to increase the regularity and severity of severe turbulence.