Several Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Impacts Delta Flight Landing at Sydney
A number of individuals sustained injuries following a Delta Airlines flight traveling from LA to Sydney was hit by significant turbulence on Friday morning.
Flight DL41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it made its approach and landed at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier informed. A number of the onboard staff required medical attention.
The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they assessed a total of five people, and transferred three to the hospital with minor injuries that comprised spinal discomfort and head pain. The patients' ages spanned from their thirties and seventies.
The event represents the most recent case of commercial jets experiencing turbulence, with experts indicating that global warming is a major factor.
On board were nearly 250 travelers and 15 crew members on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson noted, adding that the plane landed "safely" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.
Paramedics reported they were alerted just a mere three minutes prior to the plane touched down, and response teams were waiting on the tarmac.
Why plane turbulence is becoming more frequent - and often stronger.
Last year, two dozen individuals sustained injuries when a separate Delta aircraft, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, hit "considerable" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the lengthy trip, and had to make an precautionary landing.
Recently, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines jet experienced a harrowing brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. An individual died and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and crashed back down.
In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence while flying, and while instances of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are remained quite uncommon.
Data suggests that there are approximately five thousand cases of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a sum of more than 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur around the world.
Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the vertical motions of a jet passing through rough air masses exert more than 1.5g-force on your body - enough to lift you out of your seat if you weren't wearing a safety belt.
As a changing climate alters the conditions in the sky, researchers alert that air travel could become bumpier: temperature changes and altered air currents in the upper atmosphere are likely to heighten the occurrence and strength of significant turbulence.
