A Number of Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes A Delta Airlines Aircraft into Sydney
Several people have been injured after a Delta Airlines aircraft from Los Angeles to Sydney experienced turbulence this past Friday.
The flight, numbered 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson stated. A number of the onboard staff required medical attention.
Emergency medical services said they assessed five patients, and took three to the hospital with minor injuries that included spinal discomfort and head pain. Those affected were between their thirties and seventies.
This marks the most recent case of planes encountering atmospheric disturbance, with experts saying that shifting climate patterns is a significant contributor.
The aircraft was carrying 245 passengers and fifteen staff members on the Airbus A350, the Delta spokesperson said, clarifying that the plane arrived "safely and normally" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.
The NSW Ambulance Service indicated they got a call just a mere three minutes before the plane touched down, and response teams were waiting on the tarmac.
Why plane turbulence is becoming more common - and more severe.
During the past year, 25 people sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, experienced "considerable" rough air just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an precautionary landing.
Recently, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a harrowing five seconds of severe turbulence. An individual died and dozens were injured, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and fell back down.
In-flight turbulence is fairly routine during flights, and while instances of rough conditions appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.
Research indicates that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of severe or worse turbulence every year, out of a sum of over 35 million flights that currently occur worldwide.
Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the sudden jolts of a jet going through disturbed air generate greater than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a restraint.
As global warming shifts the conditions in the sky, researchers alert that commercial aviation could become bumpier: warming trends and changing jet streams in the upper atmosphere are likely to boost the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.