A Number of Injured as Turbulence Hits A Delta Airlines Aircraft Arriving in Sydney
Multiple passengers and crew sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines jet from Los Angeles to Sydney encountered turbulence this past Friday.
Delta Flight 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier informed. A number of the onboard staff required medical attention.
Emergency medical services stated they evaluated five patients, and transferred three to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries that included spinal discomfort and headaches. The patients' ages spanned from their 30s to 70s.
The event represents the newest example of planes being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with aviation specialists pointing out that global warming is a key driver.
The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and fifteen staff members on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson said, adding that the plane touched down "safely" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.
The NSW Ambulance Service said they were alerted just a mere three minutes prior to the plane arrived, and response teams were ready and waiting at the airport.
The reasons turbulence is getting more frequent - and more severe.
Last year, two dozen individuals were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "severe" turbulence just two hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an emergency landing.
Recently, passengers and crew on a certain international flight went through a harrowing short but intense bout of severe turbulence. An individual passed away and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and crashed back down.
In-flight turbulence is fairly routine while flying, and while instances of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are remained quite uncommon.
Data suggests that there are around 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a overall number of in excess of 35 million journeys that now take off around the world.
Severe turbulence is categorized as when the vertical motions of a jet passing through rough air masses exert more than a significant G-force on your body - enough to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.
As climate change modifies atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that air travel could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and altered air currents in the upper atmosphere are likely to boost the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.
