At least 25 people were hurt after a passenger plane to Amsterdam was caught in severe turbulence.
A routine flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam turned into a nightmare when the Airbus plane suddenly plunged around 1,000ft in seconds.
The Delta Air Lines DL56 had departed Utah at about 10.30pm yesterday when it got caught in severe conditions over Minnesota.
The Airbus A330-900 plane with 288 people on board was forced to make an emergency landing at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.
At least 25 people were taken to hospital.
Aviation consultant Bernard Lavelle said the incident would have been ‘scary for passengers’,’ aviation consultant Bernard Lavelle said.
Pilots will try to steer clear of turbulence if they see active weather belts, Mr Lavelle told Metro.
However, turbulence can sometimes be invisible on the radars, known as clear turbulence.
He said: ‘Sometimes turbulence is just there, and the most difficult one is clear air turbulence – you are going through a clear sky and suddenly you hit turbulence and you don’t see it, so that can be challenging.
‘If the pilots can see the turbulence, they will put the seatbelt sign on and get people to return to their seats, and if it is severe, get the crew to sit down as well. But pilots don’t always pick it up on radar or haven’t had that information.’
A Delta spokesperson told Metro: ‘Delta flight DL56 – flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam – diverted to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport Wednesday after the flight encountered significant turbulence while enroute.
‘The aircraft, an Airbus A330-900, landed safely at MSP, and medical personnel met the flight upon arrival to evaluate customers and crew. Twenty-five of those on board were transported to local hospitals for evaluation and care. We are grateful for the support of all emergency responders involved.
‘Safety is our No. 1 value at Delta, and our Delta Care Team is working directly with customers to support their immediate needs.’
Mr Lavelle said the biggest risk from turbulence is for people who don’t have their seatbelts on and from flying debris.
‘Airlines recommend keeping your seatbelt on unless you are stretching your legs or going to the toilet,’ he said.
The expert said that there has been ‘an increase in turbulence, especially in Asia.’
Mr Lavelle said: ‘There is an increasing number of flights around the world that are subject to turbulence of some kind because of climate change.
‘There is a lot of impact on flights. It is becoming more usual than unusual, which is frustrating, but it is still a very small number of flights to put it into context,’ he added.
Last year, an Air Europa flight hit turbulence so bad that one of the passengers was catapulted into the overhead lockers.
