Multiple Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes A Delta Airlines Aircraft Arriving in Sydney
Several people were hurt when a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in LA to Sydney was hit by turbulence on Friday morning.
Flight DL41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a company official informed. A number of the onboard staff required medical attention.
The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they assessed five individuals, and transported three to the hospital with minor injuries that such as spinal discomfort and head pain. The injured ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.
It is the newest example of commercial jets experiencing turbulence, with experts saying that global warming is a key driver.
There were nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the representative said, adding that the plane landed "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.
The NSW Ambulance Service reported they got a call just three minutes before the plane arrived, and ambulances were waiting on the tarmac.
Why plane turbulence is growing more frequent - and more severe.
In the previous year, 25 people were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, hit "severe" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the long-haul flight, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.
Recently, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a terrifying five seconds period of extreme instability. An individual passed away and numerous people sustained injuries, as unbelted passengers were thrown from their seats and crashed back down.
In-flight turbulence is not uncommon during flights, and while cases of significant turbulence seem to be rising, they are statistically infrequent.
Data suggests that there are around thousands of instances of severe or worse turbulence annually, out of a total of over 35 million flights that now take off globally.
Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the vertical motions of a jet going through rough air masses exert greater than a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to throw you from your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.
As a changing climate modifies weather patterns, experts warn that flying could become less smooth: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are projected to increase the frequency and intensity of dangerous in-flight bumps.
