A Number of Hurt as Turbulence Hits Delta Aircraft Arriving in Sydney, Australia
A number of individuals sustained injuries following a Delta jet originating in LA to Sydney, Australia experienced significant turbulence this past Friday.
Flight DL41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at the Sydney airport, an airline spokesperson informed. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.
Emergency medical services reported they treated a total of five people, and transported a trio to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that comprised back pain and headaches. Those affected spanned from their 30s up to the 70s.
This marks the most recent case of aircraft experiencing turbulence, with experts pointing out that global warming is a major factor.
The aircraft was carrying 245 people and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the representative said, stating that the plane landed "without further incident" at the airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.
Emergency responders reported they were alerted just three minutes before the plane arrived, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.
The reasons turbulence is growing increasingly prevalent - and more severe.
Last year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, flying from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, encountered "considerable" rough air just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an precautionary landing.
Earlier this year, those on board on a certain international flight went through a terrifying short but intense of severe turbulence. A traveler passed away and dozens were injured, as unbelted passengers rose out of their seats and fell back down.
Turbulence is not uncommon during flights, and while instances of rough conditions seem to be rising, they are remained quite uncommon.
Research indicates that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of severe or worse turbulence annually, out of a sum of more than 35 million journeys that currently occur around the world.
Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the sudden jolts of a aircraft passing through rough air masses generate greater than a significant G-force on your body - enough to throw you from your seat if you did not have on a safety belt.
As a changing climate shifts weather patterns, researchers alert that flying could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are expected to boost the occurrence and strength of significant turbulence.
