Turbulence forces Delta flight to land and sends 25 passengers to hospitals: Airline

A Delta Air Lines flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam was hit by serious turbulence, sending 25 passengers to hospitals and forcing the flight to divert to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the airline said.

The Airbus A330-900, which can seat over 250 people, landed around 7:45 pm Wednesday. The airport fire department and paramedics met the flight. The 25 passengers were taken to hospitals for evaluation and treatment, the airline said.

One passenger said people who weren't wearing seat belts were thrown about the cabin.

“They hit the ceiling, and then they fell to the ground,” Leann Clement-Nash told ABC News. “And the carts also hit the ceiling and fell to the ground and people were injured. It happened several times, so it was really scary.”

Delta said in a statement: “We are grateful for the support of all emergency responders involved.”

Serious injuries from in-flight turbulence are rare, but scientists say they may be becoming more common as climate change alters the jet stream.

A man was killed when a Singapore Airlines flight hit severe turbulence in May 2024, the first person to die from turbulence on a major airline in several decades.