Several Hurt as Rough Air Hits Delta Flight into Sydney
Multiple passengers and crew sustained injuries following a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in LA to Sydney was hit by turbulence this past Friday.
The flight, numbered 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Four flight attendants were injured.
The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they evaluated a total of five people, and transferred three of them to the hospital with minor injuries that comprised spinal discomfort and migraines. The patients' ages spanned from their 30s to 70s.
This marks the most recent case of aircraft being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with aviation specialists indicating that climate change is a key driver.
There were nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson added, adding that the plane landed "without further incident" at the airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.
The NSW Ambulance Service indicated they got a call just three minutes prior to the plane arrived, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.
Why in-flight bumpiness is getting increasingly prevalent - and more severe.
During the past year, 25 people were injured when a separate Delta aircraft, flying from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, experienced "severe" atmospheric disturbance just two hours into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.
Recently, those on board on a certain international flight went through a frightening brief five-second of severe turbulence. An individual lost their life and many were hurt, as individuals not fastened in lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.
In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence on aircraft journeys, and while instances of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are statistically infrequent.
Research indicates that there are around thousands of instances of significant in-flight disturbance every year, out of a overall number of over 35 million journeys that are conducted globally.
Severe turbulence is defined as when the sudden jolts of a jet going through rough air masses exert greater than 1.5g-force on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.
As a changing climate shifts atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that flying could become less smooth: temperature changes and changing jet streams in the jet stream level are likely to increase the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.