Multiple Affected as Rough Air Strikes Delta Flight Landing at Sydney
Multiple passengers and crew have been injured following a Delta aircraft traveling from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia was hit by rough air this past Friday.
The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, a company official informed. A number of the onboard staff sustained injuries.
Local paramedics reported they treated five patients, and transferred three to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that included spinal discomfort and headaches. The patients' ages ranged from their thirties and seventies.
It is the newest example of aircraft being hit by turbulence, with researchers saying that global warming is a major factor.
On board were nearly 250 travelers and fifteen staff members on the Airbus A350, the representative added, stating that the plane touched down "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday.
Emergency responders said they got a call just only 180 seconds before the plane landed, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.
Why plane turbulence is becoming more common - and often stronger.
During the past year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when a separate Delta aircraft, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "considerable" turbulence just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and had to make an unscheduled landing.
Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight experienced a terrifying brief five-second period of extreme instability. An individual died and numerous people sustained injuries, as unbelted passengers were thrown from their seats and fell back down.
Bumpy air is fairly routine during flights, and while instances of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are still very rare.
Research indicates that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of severe or worse turbulence annually, out of a total of in excess of 35 million flights that now take off globally.
Severe turbulence is described as when the up and down movements of a jet experiencing rough air masses apply more than a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to lift you out of your seat if you were not fastened by a restraint.
As a changing climate alters atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that flying could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are projected to heighten the regularity and severity of significant turbulence.