At least 25 people were injured in a severe case of turbulence that forced a Delta Air Lines jet flying to Amsterdam into an emergency landing in Minneapolis, the airline said in a statement.
The flight had taken off from Salt Lake City in Utah but landed at the Minneapolis–Saint Paul international airport after “significant turbulence” struck.
“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,” Delta said in a statement.
“We are grateful for the support of all emergency responders involved.”
William Webster, one of the passengers on board the stricken flight, told CNN it was “the craziest turbulence I’ve ever seen in my life”.
“I felt the centrifugal force. I was off my seat for like 30 seconds with the turbulence,” he said in an interview with the network.
The turbulence hit as a meal was being served, adding to the dangers to those onboard. “I watched a wine cart just get thrown into the air,” Webster added.
Turbulence has long been a problem for air travelers, but experts say the issue is getting worse in an era of climate crisis which produces more extreme atmospheric conditions.
“We can expect a doubling or tripling in the amount of severe turbulence around the world in the next few decades,” Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading, told the BBC.
The BBC reported that National Transportation Safety Board figures show that in the US alone, there have been 207 severe injuries since 2009. Severe injuries are defined as when an individual has been admitted to hospital for more than 48 hours.
