A Number of Hurt as Rough Air Hits Delta Plane Arriving in Sydney
Several people were hurt when a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in Los Angeles to Sydney encountered significant turbulence this past Friday.
The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.
The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they assessed five individuals, and transferred a trio to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries that such as spinal discomfort and headaches. The injured ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.
It is the newest example of aircraft being hit by turbulence, with aviation specialists saying that climate change is a key driver.
On board were 245 passengers and 15 crew members on the wide-body jet, the Delta spokesperson noted, stating that the plane touched down "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.
The NSW Ambulance Service indicated they received a call just a mere three minutes before the plane touched down, and ambulances were standing by on the runway.
Why plane turbulence is growing more common - and potentially more dangerous.
In the previous year, two dozen individuals were hurt when another Delta jet, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, hit "severe" turbulence just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and had to make an unscheduled landing.
Earlier this year, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines jet experienced a harrowing short but intense period of extreme instability. An individual lost their life and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and crashed back down.
Turbulence is fairly routine during flights, and while cases of rough conditions are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are remained quite uncommon.
Research indicates that there are around five thousand cases of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a overall number of more than 35 million aircraft departures that are conducted around the world.
Severe turbulence is defined as when the sudden jolts of a plane going through disturbed air apply in excess of 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a seatbelt.
As climate change alters atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that flying could become less smooth: shifts in temperature and changing jet streams in the upper atmosphere are projected to boost the occurrence and strength of severe turbulence.