A plane en route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam had to make an emergency landing in the United States on Wednesday due to severe turbulence. 25 people have been taken to the hospital for examination, according to airline Delta Airlines.
The Delta Air Lines flight 56 had 275 passengers and 13 crew members on board when it had to be diverted to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. There, the Airbus A330-900 landed shortly before 8:00 PM (local time). The plane was only just two hours into its journey.
Passenger Stef Rohaan had the impression that the crew did not see the turbulence coming. The distribution of meals had been delayed earlier because there might be turbulence, but at the moment of the turbulence, the meals were being distributed.
“I just had a full cup,” says Rohaan to NU.nl. “At that moment, we got into the turbulence.”
Flight attendants sat on their haunches, but stood up again when it seemed that the turbulence was not too bad. “Then it actually only just came. Then everything started flying through the air.” He refers to the image from Flight Radar below, which shows that the plane dropped meters at once.
Flight attendants hit the ceiling
Everything flew through the air due to the turbulence, says Rohaan. “There were flight attendants against the ceiling.” Also, one of the carts used for distribution would have flown up. “People who were not wearing seatbelts or were too loose, hit their heads.” When the turbulence was over, Rohaan had three mobile phones in his lap. “Except for my own.”
After landing, paramedics came inside the plane. They asked all the passengers how they were doing. People who were in panic were given oxygen, according to Rohaan. The airline reports that afterwards 25 people were taken to the hospital “for evaluation and care”.
It is unclear whether there are Dutch people among the injured. Rohaan himself is doing well. He is now staying in a hotel and will fly on to the Netherlands later with another flight.
More frequent turbulence
Turbulence is more common. Last year, someone died due to turbulence on a flight between London and Singapore. Turbulence can have various causes, including strong winds and rising air.
“The lift force that keeps an aircraft in the air depends on the speed of the air and that of the aircraft itself,” weather plaza meteorologist Matthijs van der Linden explained to NU.nl earlier.
“If one of the two suddenly changes, for example due to a jet stream, there will be a sharp decrease or increase in the lifting power of the wings.” Then a plane can shake violently or lose a lot of altitude at once.