A Delta flight makes an emergency landing due to severe turbulence, injuring 25 people
A Delta flight was diverted to Minneapolis after experiencing significant turbulence on its way to Amsterdam, injuring 25 people.
After experiencing extreme turbulence that wounded passengers, a Delta Airlines flight headed to Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Wednesday evening.
When the turbulence struck, Flight 56, an Airbus A330-900, had barely over two hours into its nine-hour voyage after taking off from Salt Lake City at 16:30 local time (23:30 BST). After being rerouted, the plane safely landed in Minneapolis at around 19:45 local time (01:45 BST).
There were 13 crew members and 275 passengers aboard the flight, and medical personnel were waiting to meet them. After on-site assessments, 25 people were taken to nearby hospitals for additional care, according to Delta.
Delta issued a statement expressing its sorrow for those impacted and said that it is “working with customers to support their immediate needs.” The type of injuries received and the intensity of the turbulence have not yet been made public by the airline.
Since 2009, 207 passengers have been hospitalized for more than 48 hours as a result of turbulence-related serious injuries, according to data from the US National Transportation Safety Board. According to industry estimates, out of over 35 million flights worldwide each year, there are roughly 5,000 instances of severe or higher turbulence.
Air disturbances powerful enough to produce more than 1.5 g-forces—enough to remove unrestrained passengers from their seats—are referred to as severe turbulence.
