Delta Flight Makes Emergency Landing In Minneapolis After Severe Turbulence Injures 25
A transatlantic Delta Air Lines flight en route to Amsterdam from Salt Lake City was forced to make an emergency landing in Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport on Tuesday after encountering severe turbulence that left at least 25 people injured. The incident underscores growing concerns among aviation safety experts regarding the increasing frequency and intensity of turbulence, a phenomenon they warn is being exacerbated by the global climate crisis.
According to Delta’s statement, Flight 296 was cruising at altitude over the Midwest when it was hit by a violent patch of turbulence that jolted the aircraft and caused injuries among both passengers and crew members. Emergency responders were on standby as the plane landed at the Minneapolis airport. Medical teams promptly transported 25 individuals to local hospitals for urgent evaluation and treatment.
“We are grateful for the support of all emergency responders involved,” Delta said, adding that its staff were working closely with authorities and medical teams to ensure continued care for those affected.
Among the injured were passengers who reportedly hit their heads on overhead bins and crew members who were flung to the cabin floor due to the sudden and intense vertical movement. Some injuries have been classified as severe, a designation used when an individual is hospitalized for more than 48 hours.
Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading in the UK, has studied turbulence trends over the past decade. Speaking with the BBC, he reiterated the aviation community’s growing concern: “We can expect a doubling or tripling in the amount of severe turbulence around the world in the next few decades.”
Turbulence — particularly Clear Air Turbulence (CAT), which cannot be detected by radar — has become a growing menace for commercial aviation. Caused by abrupt changes in wind speed or direction at high altitudes, CAT often strikes aircraft without warning, making it particularly dangerous.
This Delta incident is one of many in a string of similar events that have occurred in recent years. Data from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reveals that since 2009, there have been over 207 cases of severe turbulence-related injuries across the country. Of these, the majority involved flight attendants and passengers not wearing seatbelts at the time of impact.
In 2022, a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu made headlines when turbulence caused injuries to more than 30 passengers and crew. That flight experienced turbulence so violent that it tore parts of the interior cabin ceiling.
Scientists now widely agree that anthropogenic climate change is fueling conditions that make turbulence more frequent and more intense. Rising global temperatures increase wind shear in the jet stream, which is a key driver of turbulence at cruising altitudes.
Paul Williams and his team have been modeling climate-related changes in turbulence and suggest that if greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, clear-air turbulence could increase by as much as 149% over the North Atlantic flight corridor by 2050.
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“The jet stream is becoming more chaotic. That’s what we’re seeing in simulations and, increasingly, in real-life events,” Williams added.
Delta has said that the flight crew followed standard emergency protocols by immediately requesting priority landing clearance from air traffic control in Minneapolis. Passengers were assisted off the aircraft, and customer service personnel provided meals, hotel accommodations, and rebooking for onward travel.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched a routine investigation into the incident to determine the sequence of events and whether any mechanical or human errors may have contributed to the injury toll.
The airline also emphasized the importance of wearing seatbelts throughout the flight, even when the seatbelt sign is off. This point has been reiterated in multiple FAA advisories in recent years, especially as turbulence-related injuries have spiked.
“It’s critical that passengers listen to safety briefings and follow crew instructions. Turbulence can be sudden and violent, even on clear days,” Delta spokesperson Angela McMillan noted.
Several passengers have taken to social media to describe their terrifying experience. One traveler posted a video showing scattered luggage, toppled food trays, and oxygen masks dangling from overhead compartments.
“I thought we were going down,” said 45-year-old Michelle Larkin, a passenger seated in the rear of the aircraft. “One moment it was calm, and then it felt like the plane just dropped from the sky. People screamed, things flew everywhere.”
Another passenger, Jason Grant, who was traveling with his 11-year-old son, recounted how he instinctively held onto his child as turbulence threw people out of their seats. “It lasted just seconds, but it felt like forever,” he said.
Medical reports suggest that some of the injuries included concussions, fractured wrists, and soft tissue trauma.
This incident serves as yet another reminder of the critical need for climate adaptation in aviation. Airlines are increasingly investing in advanced turbulence prediction software and improving training for pilots and cabin crew. But many believe these measures still fall short in the face of rising atmospheric volatility.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged airlines to prioritize research collaborations with meteorological agencies and invest in real-time wind shear detection technology. Airbus and Boeing are also working on new aircraft designs that may offer better resistance to vertical and horizontal shear forces.
Still, industry insiders say there’s a long road ahead.
“The skies are changing,” said aviation analyst Marcus Hall. “We are now entering an era where climate-induced airspace volatility will become a major operational challenge. This will affect flight paths, fuel efficiency, passenger safety, and insurance premiums.”
As investigations into Flight 296’s turbulence incident proceed, Delta has assured passengers of full cooperation with federal authorities. The injured individuals are being monitored, and Delta has said it will cover their medical expenses.
Meanwhile, meteorologists are calling for the FAA and airlines to take preemptive steps in light of climate modeling projections. Some experts recommend introducing turbulence hazard ratings similar to storm warnings to alert pilots and reroute flights when needed.
“What happened on Delta Flight 296 is not an isolated event,” said Dr. Sarah Kim, a climate risk researcher. “It’s the future playing out in real time.”
As the airline industry braces for a more turbulent future — literally and figuratively — the incident aboard Delta’s ill-fated flight will likely become a case study in aviation and climate change discussions for years to come.