An Air Europa flight en route to Uruguay was forced to make an unexpected stop in Brazil after severe turbulence injured more than 30 people on Monday, fracturing the necks and skulls of several passengers.
The airline said Flight UX045, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, was travelling from Madrid, Spain to Montevideo, Uruguay when the turbulence occurred. The plane made an unplanned landing in Natal, Brazil so passengers could receive medical treatment.
Thirty-six travellers were treated for physical injuries and shock, and 23 passengers were taken to hospital, the New York Times reported. Though most of the passengers treated suffered only minor injuries, several others were reportedly flung from their seats and suffered head, neck and chest injuries as a result of the impact.
The plane was over the Atlantic Ocean and had been in the air for more than four hours when the severe turbulence began.
According to local health authorities, 15 ambulances were deployed to meet the passengers of Flight UX045 upon landing in Natal.
On Monday evening, four passengers were still receiving treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU), with one other traveller hospitalized in general care.
Video and photos from the incident show damage to the plane’s overhead storage compartments and roof, with several panels missing above the cabin’s aisle. Passengers also filmed smears of blood left on some seats.
In another video purportedly taken on the flight, one passenger can be seen lying above the overhead compartments, with his feet dangling in the air above the aisle.
Several other travellers helped the man back down and onto his feet, another video shows.
It is unclear if the 325 people onboard Flight UX045 were told to wear their seatbelts ahead of experiencing the severe turbulence, or if the injured passengers had theirs buckled up when the turbulence occurred.
In a statement, Air Europa said the travellers who were not still in hospital were scheduled to fly to Montevideo later on Monday. The airline apologized for the inconvenience and wished a speedy recovery to the injured passengers.
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News of the injured travellers onboard Flight UX045 is only the latest in a long string of bad press for Boeing. The company, which has had several whistleblowers come forward with complaints in recent months, was sanctioned by U.S. investigators last week for violating investigative regulations about possible causes of a door plug blowout that left a gaping hole in a Boeing 737 Max 9 in January.
There is no evidence the passengers on Flight UX045 were injured as a result of safety malpractice or a technological malfunction.
Though severe turbulence is relatively uncommon, the Air Europa incident is one of many to be highly publicized in recent months.
In May, a Singapore Airlines flight was diverted to Thailand after over 70 passengers were injured, and one died, following a bout of extreme turbulence. The deceased passenger, a 73-year-old British man, died of a suspected heart attack. The aircraft, a Boeing 777 jet, dropped about 1,828 metres in only minutes.
Days later, 12 people were injured as a result of turbulence onboard a Qatar Airways flight en route to Dublin, Ireland.
What causes turbulence?
According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), turbulence is unexpected and normally cannot be seen on a pilot’s radar. The phenomenon can be caused by atmospheric pressure, jet streams, air moving around mountains, cold or warm weather fronts or thunderstorms.
The FAA encourages passengers to wear their seatbelts at all times throughout a flight and to listen attentively to safety briefings prior to takeoff.
In recent years, some meteorologists and aviation analysts have reported increased numbers of turbulence encounters, which they claim may be a result of climate change on flying conditions.
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