A flight from Cancún to Chicago diverted to Memphis after severe turbulence left several passengers injured

30.08.2024 - 14:11 / insider.com / United Airlines

Several passengers were injured after a flight encountered severe turbulence, according to a Federal Aviation Administration preliminary report.

The United Airlines Boeing 737 was flying from Cancún to Chicago on Wednesday.

Data from Flightradar24 shows that the plane changed direction about two hours into the flight and made a loop before landing in Memphis, Tennessee.

It's the latest incident of severe turbulence in recent months, which has seen some airlines change protocols to reduce risks. Korean Air said that the number of turbulence incidents had doubled in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2019.

In a statement to CNN, a United representative said the seatbelt sign was on when the jet encountered the turbulence.

"Paramedics met the aircraft at the gate and transported one passenger to the hospital," it added.

The Memphis Fire Department told the outlet that six others declined treatment.

According to the FAA's preliminary report, five passengers and one cabin crew member sustained minor injuries.

After diverting to Memphis, the Boeing 737 continued on to Chicago where it landed about two hours behind schedule, per data from Flightradar24.

United Airlines and the FAA did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside normal working hours.

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Serious injuries due to turbulence are very rare, sustained by an average of less than 12 people a year between 2009 and 2022, per FAA data.

The risks have been under more scrutiny since a Singapore Airlines passenger died on board a flight in May, when dozens were injured by turbulence.

The climate crisis is making severe turbulence more common and intense because the warming atmosphere speeds up jet streams and imparts more friction between air particles.

In a 2023 study, researchers at the University of Reading found that turbulence was getting more common over the North Atlantic. It found that over a typical point, the most severe type of clear air turbulence increased by 55% between 1979 and 2020.