Several Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Hits A Delta Airlines Aircraft Landing at Sydney, Australia
A number of individuals sustained injuries following a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in LA to Sydney, Australia encountered significant turbulence Friday morning.
The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it made its approach and landed at the Sydney airport, a company official told. Four flight attendants were injured.
Emergency medical services stated they assessed five individuals, and transported a trio to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that comprised pain in the back and headaches. Those affected ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.
It is the latest incident of commercial jets encountering severe turbulence, with experts pointing out that shifting climate patterns is a major factor.
The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the Delta spokesperson noted, stating that the plane touched down "safely" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday.
The NSW Ambulance Service indicated they were alerted just a mere three minutes before the plane arrived, and ambulances were standing by on the runway.
Why in-flight bumpiness is growing more frequent - and often stronger.
Last year, 25 people were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, encountered "significant" turbulence just 120 minutes into the long-haul flight, and was forced to make an emergency landing.
Recently, those on board on a Singapore Airlines jet endured a frightening brief five-second period of extreme instability. A traveler died and numerous people sustained injuries, as unbelted passengers were thrown from their seats and were slammed back.
Bumpy air is not uncommon while flying, and while instances of rough conditions seem to be rising, they are remained quite uncommon.
Data suggests that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance annually, out of a overall number of more than 35 million flights that now take off globally.
Severe turbulence is categorized as when the vertical motions of a plane passing through unstable air exert more than a significant G-force on your body - enough to throw you from your seat if you were not fastened by a seatbelt.
As climate change alters the conditions in the sky, researchers alert that commercial aviation could become less smooth: shifts in temperature and changing jet streams in the jet stream level are likely to boost the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.
