Several Affected as Turbulence Strikes A Delta Airlines Aircraft Landing at Sydney
Several people sustained injuries after a Delta jet traveling from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia was hit by turbulence this past Friday.
Delta Flight 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it made its approach and landed at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson stated. Several cabin crew members required medical attention.
Emergency medical services reported they assessed five patients, and transferred three to the hospital with minor injuries that comprised pain in the back and head pain. Those affected ranged from their 30s to 70s.
The event represents the most recent case of aircraft experiencing severe turbulence, with researchers indicating that global warming is a significant contributor.
The aircraft was carrying 245 passengers and fifteen staff members on the aircraft, the official added, stating that the plane landed "safely" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on the day in question.
Emergency responders indicated they were alerted just three minutes before the plane touched down, and emergency vehicles were waiting on the tarmac.
Why plane turbulence is growing increasingly prevalent - and more severe.
In the previous year, 25 people sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "considerable" turbulence just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.
Recently, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines jet went through a terrifying five seconds of severe turbulence. An individual passed away and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers were thrown from their seats and fell back down.
Turbulence is not uncommon on aircraft journeys, and while cases of significant turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are remained quite uncommon.
Estimates show that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance annually, out of a sum of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that are conducted worldwide.
Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the up and down movements of a jet experiencing rough air masses generate more than 1.5g-force on your body - enough to throw you from your seat if you were not fastened by a seatbelt.
As global warming alters weather patterns, experts warn that commercial aviation could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and changing jet streams in the upper atmosphere are projected to boost the regularity and severity of severe turbulence.
