An Avianca flight from Medellín, Colombia, to New York encountered severe turbulence in the early hours of Friday (Oct. 9) and diverted to Miami. At least eight people were hospitalized, one with severe injuries taken to a trauma center. The Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation.
The Airbus A320 was en route to New York's JFK Airport when it hit violent turbulence roughly two and a half hours into the flight, according to the Associated Press. The crew diverted to Miami International Airport, landing at about 3:30 a.m. local time. Multiple ambulances were waiting on the tarmac, and the injured were taken straight to hospitals.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue confirmed that one person was rushed to a trauma center with severe injuries while seven others were taken to area hospitals. The airline said nine people were affected and needed medical care — three crew members and six passengers. People magazine reported that the eight hospitalized included a flight attendant.
Cabin video captured the chaos: unbuckled passengers hurled from their seats as luggage and loose items flew through the air. The injured suffered mainly head and shoulder injuries from being thrown around. Some passengers were seen pressing ice packs to their heads; one was in a neck brace, and a flight attendant was wheeled into the hospital on a gurney. "You value your life so much when something like that happens," one passenger told local TV.
The FAA said it is investigating the incident. In a statement, Avianca said "the safety of our customers and employees is, and will remain, the foundation of our operations." Passengers who were not hurt were flown on to New York on Friday morning.
Serious in-flight turbulence injuries are rare, but scientists warn they may be getting more common. The International Air Transport Association said turbulence incident reports surged more than 25% last year, and researchers believe climate change is altering the jet stream in ways that could make severe turbulence more frequent.
Last summer, a Delta flight hit thunderstorm-driven turbulence over Wyoming and 24 people were hospitalized. The National Transportation Safety Board said passengers and flight attendants were thrown into the ceiling with enough force to crack interior panels, then tossed back to the floor and up again — the seat belt sign was off, and drinks were being served. At least 20 passengers have since sued Delta, arguing the airline could have avoided the storm.
The FAA's advice is simple: stay buckled whenever you're seated, to protect against unexpected turbulence.