Several people were hurt when a Delta Airlines jet originating in LA to Sydney encountered turbulence Friday morning.
The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, a company official stated. Several cabin crew members required medical attention.
The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they assessed five individuals, and took a trio to a medical facility with relatively minor issues that such as spinal discomfort and migraines. The patients' ages ranged from their thirties and seventies.
It is the latest incident of aircraft experiencing atmospheric disturbance, with researchers pointing out that global warming is a major factor.
On board were nearly 250 travelers and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the representative added, clarifying that the plane arrived "safely" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.
The NSW Ambulance Service reported they were alerted just only 180 seconds ahead of the plane arrived, and emergency vehicles were standing by on the runway.
Why in-flight bumpiness is becoming increasingly prevalent - and potentially more dangerous.
In the previous year, two dozen individuals were injured when a Delta Airlines flight, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, encountered "significant" rough air just 120 minutes into the long-haul flight, and was forced to make an precautionary landing.
Recently, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines flight went through a frightening short but intense period of extreme instability. An individual lost their life and numerous people sustained injuries, as individuals not fastened in were thrown from their seats and fell back down.
Turbulence is fairly routine while flying, and while instances of rough conditions are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are remained quite uncommon.
Data suggests that there are an estimated five thousand cases of severe or worse turbulence annually, out of a overall number of more than 35 million journeys that are conducted around the world.
Intense turbulence is defined as when the sudden jolts of a plane experiencing rough air masses apply in excess of 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - enough to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a safety belt.
As climate change alters weather patterns, researchers alert that flying could become bumpier: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are likely to increase the occurrence and strength of dangerous in-flight bumps.
