Delta emergency landing latest: 18 passengers, 7 crew members hurt during extreme turbulence
Delta flight diverted to MSP due to turbulence leaves 25 in hospital
Delta Air Lines says 18 passengers and 7 crew suffered injuries after a flight to Amsterdam hit extreme turbulence and was forced to make an emergency landing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Delta Air Lines says no passengers or crew members suffered serious injuries after a flight to Amsterdam hit extreme turbulence and was forced to make an emergency landing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Delta flight turbulence: What happened?
Matthew "Whiz" Buckley joined FOX 9 All Day to discuss the extreme turbulence that forced a Delta flight to be diverted to MSP Airport after 25 people on board were hurt.
Emergency landing
The backstory:
Wednesday night, Delta said Flight 56 was traveling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam when it encountered "in-flight turbulence that caused injuries on board."
According to FlightAware records, the flight was diverted to MSP Airport around 6:43 p.m. central time, a little over an hour into the flight, and landed in Minneapolis around 7:45 p.m.
Delta flight hits extreme turbulence: The latest
Delta says no passengers or crew members suffered serious injuries after a flight to Amsterdam hit extreme turbulence over Wyoming and was forced to make an emergency landing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
After landing, Delta said 25 people on board were taken to local hospitals for evaluation. There were a total of 275 passengers and 13 crew members on the flight.
What they're saying:
In a statement on Wednesday, Delta said: "Safety is our No. 1 value at Delta, and our Delta Care Team is working directly with customers to support their immediate needs."
Flight was over Wyoming when turbulence occurred
New info:
Speaking with FOX 9's Bill Keller on Thursday morning, Delta tells us the injured included seven crew members and 18 passengers. All were evaluated, treated, and released after the flight – though two chose not to share their information, the airline adds.
Officials say the turbulence began when the flight was over Wyoming.
This photo shared by the witness shows damage to a ceiling panel after the turbulence.
Witness account:
FOX 9 spoke with a Belgian man who was on the flight. He was buckled and uninjured but recounted watching another passenger, who was unbuckled, flying up into the air. The witness said another passenger grabbed onto the leg of the unbuckled man to hold onto him. The passenger was basically stuck to the ceiling as the plane descended, the witness explained.
What's next:
Officials say the flight will continue on its trip later on Thursday.