Multiple Affected as Rough Air Strikes Delta Plane Arriving in Sydney
A number of individuals sustained injuries after a Delta flight originating in LA to Sydney experienced rough air on Friday morning.
Delta Flight 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Several cabin crew members were injured.
The New South Wales Ambulance Service stated they assessed five patients, and took three of them to the hospital with minor injuries that comprised pain in the back and migraines. Those affected ranged from their 30s to 70s.
It is the latest incident of commercial jets being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with aviation specialists saying that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.
The aircraft was carrying 245 passengers and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the Delta spokesperson added, adding that the plane arrived "safely and normally" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.
The NSW Ambulance Service reported they got a call just a mere three minutes prior to the plane arrived, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.
The reasons turbulence is getting more common - and potentially more dangerous.
Last year, 25 people sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "significant" atmospheric disturbance just two hours into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.
Earlier this year, those on board on a certain international flight went through a frightening five seconds of severe turbulence. One passenger lost their life and numerous people sustained injuries, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and fell back down.
Turbulence is not uncommon while flying, and while occurrences of rough conditions seem to be rising, they are still very rare.
Research indicates that there are around five thousand cases of significant in-flight disturbance every year, out of a total of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that now take off globally.
Severe turbulence is categorized as when the sudden jolts of a aircraft passing through rough air masses exert in excess of 1.5g-force on your body - a strong enough force to lift you out of your seat if you did not have on a restraint.
As global warming modifies weather patterns, specialists caution that air travel could become bumpier: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are likely to boost the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.
