A Number of Hurt as Rough Air Strikes A Delta Airlines Plane Arriving in Sydney, Australia
Several people were hurt when a Delta flight originating in Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia was hit by rough air on Friday morning.
The flight, numbered 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson told. A number of the onboard staff sustained injuries.
The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they treated five individuals, and transported three to the hospital with minor injuries that included back pain and headaches. Those affected were between their thirties and seventies.
The event represents the latest incident of aircraft encountering atmospheric disturbance, with researchers pointing out that global warming is a major factor.
The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the representative noted, stating that the plane landed "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday.
Emergency responders reported they were alerted just only 180 seconds before the plane touched down, and emergency vehicles were standing by on the runway.
Why in-flight bumpiness is getting increasingly prevalent - and more severe.
During the past year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when another Delta jet, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, encountered "significant" turbulence just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an emergency landing.
Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a certain international flight went through a terrifying brief five-second of severe turbulence. An individual died and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers were thrown from their seats and fell back down.
Turbulence is a common occurrence during flights, and while cases of rough conditions are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are remained quite uncommon.
Estimates show that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a total of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that now take off worldwide.
Intense turbulence is defined as when the up and down movements of a plane passing through unstable air generate in excess of 1.5g-force on your body - a strong enough force to lift you out of your seat if you were not fastened by a seatbelt.
As climate change alters the conditions in the sky, researchers alert that flying could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are likely to boost the occurrence and strength of dangerous in-flight bumps.
