Several Hurt as Rough Air Strikes A Delta Airlines Flight Arriving in Sydney, Australia
A number of individuals sustained injuries following a Delta Airlines flight originating in Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia encountered significant turbulence Friday morning.
The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it landed at the Sydney airport, an airline spokesperson stated. A number of the onboard staff required medical attention.
The New South Wales Ambulance Service stated they evaluated a total of five people, and transferred three to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries that included back pain and migraines. The injured were between their thirties and seventies.
The event represents the newest example of aircraft experiencing atmospheric disturbance, with researchers indicating that shifting climate patterns is a significant contributor.
On board were 245 people and 15 crew members on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson added, adding that the plane arrived "safely and normally" at the airport at 06:48 local time on the day in question.
Emergency responders reported they were alerted just only 180 seconds before the plane touched down, and ambulances were standing by on the runway.
Why plane turbulence is becoming more frequent - and potentially more dangerous.
During the past year, two dozen individuals were injured when a separate Delta aircraft, on a route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "severe" rough air just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.
Recently, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines flight went through a harrowing short but intense of severe turbulence. An individual lost their life and dozens were injured, as unbelted passengers rose out of their seats and fell back down.
Turbulence is not uncommon on aircraft journeys, and while occurrences of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are remained quite uncommon.
Data suggests that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of severe or worse turbulence annually, out of a sum of more than 35 million flights that currently occur worldwide.
Strong atmospheric disturbance is described as when the vertical motions of a plane passing through disturbed air exert in excess of a significant G-force on your body - a strong enough force to throw you from your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.
As global warming alters the conditions in the sky, researchers alert that air travel could become bumpier: temperature changes and altered air currents in the jet stream level are projected to increase the regularity and severity of significant turbulence.