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Severe turbulence injures at least eight and forces emergency landing in Miami
The Guardian • • business
Key Points:
- An Avianca Airbus A320 flight from Medellín to New York made an emergency landing in Miami after encountering severe turbulence, injuring at least eight people.
- One passenger was severely injured and rushed to a trauma center, while seven others were treated at local hospitals; uninjured passengers were rebooked to continue their journey.
- The FAA noted that serious injuries from turbulence are rare but may be increasing due to climate change affecting jet streams, with turbulence incident reports rising over 25% last year.
- A similar severe turbulence event last summer on a Delta flight over Wyoming injured 24 people, leading to multiple lawsuits claiming the airline could have avoided the weather.
- Authorities recommend passengers keep seatbelts fastened whenever possible to reduce injury risk from unexpected turbulence.
