A Number of Affected as Turbulence Strikes A Delta Airlines Plane Landing at Sydney, Australia
Multiple passengers and crew sustained injuries after a Delta Airlines flight traveling from LA to Sydney, Australia encountered significant turbulence this past Friday.
Delta Flight 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, a company official informed. A number of the onboard staff required medical attention.
Emergency medical services reported they evaluated a total of five people, and transferred a trio to hospital with relatively minor issues that included spinal discomfort and headaches. The injured were between their 30s to 70s.
It is the most recent case of commercial jets experiencing turbulence, with experts indicating that global warming is a key driver.
The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and fifteen staff members on the Airbus A350, the representative said, stating that the plane touched down "safely" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on Friday.
Emergency responders indicated they got a call just only 180 seconds before the plane touched down, and response teams were ready and waiting at the airport.
The reasons turbulence is getting more common - and often stronger.
During the past year, 25 people were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "considerable" turbulence just two hours into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an precautionary landing.
Recently, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines jet went through a frightening five seconds of severe turbulence. An individual died and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and fell back down.
Turbulence is not uncommon on aircraft journeys, and while occurrences of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are remained quite uncommon.
Research indicates that there are around five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence each year, out of a sum of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that now take off worldwide.
Intense turbulence is categorized as when the vertical motions of a plane passing through disturbed air exert in excess of a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to throw you from your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.
As climate change modifies the conditions in the sky, researchers alert that commercial aviation could become bumpier: warming trends and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are projected to increase the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.
