Air India flight turbulence injures 14 passengers
An Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi experienced turbulence, injuring 14 passengers mid-air.
On Tuesday, an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi experienced turbulence mid-air, causing the aircraft to suddenly lose altitude for a brief period. Several passengers sustained head injuries, and a child was also hurt.
At least 14 people were injured in the incident on AI2379, including 10 passengers and crew members. The total number of passengers on board was not immediately available.
A passenger recounted the terrifying scene, saying,
“Since it was a morning flight, we were asleep. Suddenly, the plane seemed to stop and then started to turn. It kept circling continuously. Several passengers were injured in the incident. A child was also hurt. I injured my back.”
Another passenger said, “The plane suddenly dropped, and passengers' heads hit the overhead bins.”
A passenger told ANI,
She saw her sister “being lifted off the seat.” She said, “I am from Italy. My mother got a head injury. My phone fell down. People sitting behind me were also injured. One person had blood on his face. We thought we were going to die. It was extremely frightening.”
She further said, “I was shaking and crying. It was very terrifying. I can't hear properly even now.”
An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the injured passengers are being treated at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram and the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre in Vasant Kunj.
Photos and videos from inside AI2379 showed cracks in some overhead cabin bins. In some scenes, anxious passengers were seen concerned about the damaged overhead bins even before the turbulence.
In a statement, Air India said,
“The aircraft landed safely in Delhi, and all passengers and crew members disembarked safely. Some passengers and crew members sustained minor injuries and required medical examination. As a precaution, they were taken to the airport medical centre for check-up and treatment, where Air India's airport team and medical staff are attending to them.”
The aforementioned official stated that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also been informed about the incident. A DGCA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that according to the pilot-in-command, a crew member sustained serious injuries. The official mentioned that a technical glitch is suspected for a brief period, and an investigation is underway.
According to data from Flightradar24.com, the aircraft took off from Phuket at 8:25 a.m. and landed in Delhi at 11 a.m. Information available on the website indicates that the flight, operated by an A320 aircraft, lost altitude shortly before landing at Delhi airport.
A DGCA official said,
The matter is under investigation. Informing passengers about potential turbulence in adverse weather conditions is a standard operating procedure (SOP) for pilots. However, incidents of passengers and cabin crew getting injured due to turbulence in the air are very rare.
Notably, on 21 May 2024, a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore encountered severe turbulence. In that incident, a passenger died due to a suspected heart attack, and several other passengers were injured. In another serious incident, a SpiceJet flight from Mumbai to Durgapur on 1 May 2022 also faced severe turbulence, resulting in the death of a passenger and injuries to several others.