Fourteen people – ten passengers and four crew – were injured Tuesday after an Air India Phuket-Delhi flight was hit by turbulence mid-air. The plane experienced a sudden drop in altitude – roughly 300 feet, sources said – but managed to land safely in Delhi.
The injured people were taken to the airport’s medical centre, sources told The Indian Express. An official with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which is investigating the incident, said the pilot reported a ‘severe injury’ to one cabin crew member.
The plane was an Airbus A320 aircraft – registered as VT-EXO – and landed in Delhi at 11 AM, per flight tracking data.
It left Phuket at 8:41 AM (local time).
“Air India confirms that flight AI2379, operating from Phuket to Delhi on 4 August, experienced a brief in-flight turbulence-related event during cruise, resulting in a momentary change in altitude. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi and all passengers and crew have safely disembarked,” an airline spokesperson said.
“There have been no serious injuries as of now. A small number of passengers and crew members with minor injuries requiring medical assessment have been taken to a medical facility at the airport for precautionary examination and care by Air India’s airport team and medical personnel. The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain Air India’s highest priority,” they said.
“We are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities as part of the investigation.”
What passengers said
A passenger spoke to news agency ANI and said: “It had been an hour-and-a-half since the flight (took off) We were sleeping… then suddenly the plane rocked for 2-3 minutes…we will 100 per cent take action against Air India.”
The daughter of one of the injured passengers said: “The aircraft seemed to be moving normally but suddenly the turbulence began. I saw my sister thrown into the air from her seat. My mother was knocked on her head. My phone fell. People sitting behind me suffered injuries. A male passenger had blood on his face. We thought we would die. It was really scary. I was shaking and crying.”
What is turbulence in flights?
In aviation, turbulence is a routine occurrence with scores of flights experiencing it to varying degrees on a daily basis worldwide.
Some may be near the ground – when strong winds around the airport can affect planes as they take off or land. It can also occur at higher altitudes – when an updraft or downward flow of air in storm clouds can cause some turbulence as planes pass through.
Turbulence also occurs on the edges of jet streams – strong, fast, and narrow air currents that circle the globe.
While turbulence is commonplace, serious injuries caused by it are rare, and fatalities even more so.
Source:- indianexpress
