Three cabin crew members were taken to hospital after a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles encountered severe turbulence while descending into Sydney on Friday. The Airbus A350, carrying 245 passengers and 15 crew, landed safely at Sydney Airport shortly after 6:40 am local time, where emergency services were on standby.
Delta confirmed that flight 41 experienced “brief turbulence” during its descent, but stated that no passengers were injured. A spokesperson said: “Nothing is more important than the safety of our people and our customers, and our priority is taking care of the impacted crew members.”
The New South Wales Ambulance Service assessed five patients, including two 71-year-olds, a 60-year-old woman, and a 37-year-old woman. Three crew members were taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital with minor injuries such as back pain and headaches. NSW Ambulance Mascot station manager Lisa Frow told news.com.au that the injured had “musculoskeletal and lower back concerns”.
The flight had departed Los Angeles on Wednesday at 10:11 pm local time. During its approach, about 50 km off the NSW coast, it altered course, looping north-west before landing from the north. Sydney experienced strong onshore winds on Friday, though no clear link to Tropical Cyclone Narelle was established.
Last year, 25 people were injured on a Delta flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam after encountering significant turbulence, forcing an emergency landing. Thunderstorms with severe wind gusts, including violent updrafts and downbursts, pose hazards to aircraft, and research suggests global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of such events.
