Multiple Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Hits Delta Aircraft Arriving in Sydney
Multiple passengers and crew have been injured following a Delta Airlines flight originating in LA to Sydney experienced turbulence on Friday morning.
The flight, numbered 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a company official stated. Several cabin crew members were injured.
Local paramedics stated they treated five patients, and transferred a trio to the hospital with relatively minor issues that included pain in the back and headaches. The injured ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.
The event represents the newest example of aircraft encountering severe turbulence, with experts saying that shifting climate patterns is a major factor.
The aircraft was carrying 245 passengers and 15 crew members on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson added, stating that the plane touched down "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.
The NSW Ambulance Service reported they received a call just a mere three minutes prior to the plane landed, and ambulances were waiting on the tarmac.
Why in-flight bumpiness is becoming more common - and more severe.
During the past year, two dozen individuals sustained injuries when another Delta jet, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "severe" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and had to make an emergency landing.
Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines flight experienced a harrowing brief five-second of severe turbulence. An individual died and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and fell back down.
Bumpy air is not uncommon during flights, and while occurrences of significant turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are remained quite uncommon.
Research indicates that there are an estimated five thousand cases of severe or worse turbulence annually, out of a sum of in excess of 35 million flights that are conducted around the world.
Severe turbulence is defined as when the up and down movements of a jet experiencing unstable air apply greater than a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to lift you out of your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.
As global warming shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that flying could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and altered air currents in the jet stream level are projected to increase the frequency and intensity of dangerous in-flight bumps.
