Multiple Affected as Turbulence Hits Delta Plane Landing at Sydney
Several people were hurt after a Delta aircraft traveling from Los Angeles to Sydney experienced rough air this past Friday.
Delta Flight 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at the Sydney airport, a company official informed. A number of the onboard staff sustained injuries.
Local paramedics said they evaluated five patients, and took three to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that included pain in the back and migraines. The injured spanned from their 30s up to the 70s.
The event represents the newest example of planes encountering turbulence, with researchers pointing out that shifting climate patterns is a significant contributor.
On board were nearly 250 travelers and 15 crew members on the aircraft, the official noted, stating that the plane arrived "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday.
The NSW Ambulance Service said they got a call just only 180 seconds before the plane touched down, and emergency vehicles were waiting on the tarmac.
Why in-flight bumpiness is getting more frequent - and more severe.
In the previous year, 25 people were injured when a separate Delta aircraft, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "severe" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the lengthy trip, and had to make an precautionary landing.
Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a certain international flight experienced a frightening short but intense bout of severe turbulence. One passenger lost their life and numerous people sustained injuries, as individuals not fastened in were thrown from their seats and were slammed back.
In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence while flying, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are statistically infrequent.
Data suggests that there are an estimated thousands of instances of significant in-flight disturbance annually, out of a total of more than 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur globally.
Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the sudden jolts of a aircraft going through rough air masses apply more than a significant G-force on your body - enough to throw you from your seat if you were not fastened by a seatbelt.
As climate change modifies weather patterns, experts warn that air travel could become more turbulent: warming trends and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are projected to heighten the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.
