Multiple Injured as Rough Air Strikes A Delta Airlines Aircraft Landing at Sydney, Australia
A number of individuals were hurt after a Delta flight traveling from LA to Sydney encountered significant turbulence Friday morning.
Delta Flight 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, a company official told. Several cabin crew members were injured.
The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they treated five individuals, and transported three to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries that comprised pain in the back and head pain. The patients' ages ranged from their 30s to 70s.
This marks the newest example of commercial jets being hit by turbulence, with experts pointing out that global warming is a key driver.
On board were nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the official added, clarifying that the plane arrived "safely and normally" at the airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.
The NSW Ambulance Service indicated they received a call just a mere three minutes before the plane arrived, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.
Why in-flight bumpiness is growing more frequent - and potentially more dangerous.
Last year, 25 people were hurt when a separate Delta aircraft, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, encountered "considerable" rough air just a couple of hours into the lengthy trip, and had to make an precautionary landing.
Recently, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a harrowing brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. An individual lost their life and numerous people sustained injuries, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and crashed back down.
Turbulence is not uncommon during flights, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are remained quite uncommon.
Research indicates that there are around thousands of instances of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a overall number of in excess of 35 million flights that currently occur around the world.
Intense turbulence is described as when the up and down movements of a aircraft experiencing rough air masses apply more than a significant G-force on your body - enough to lift you out of your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.
As climate change alters atmospheric conditions, researchers alert that air travel could become bumpier: temperature changes and changing jet streams in the higher altitudes are likely to boost the occurrence and strength of dangerous in-flight bumps.
