Turbulence forces Delta flight to land and sends 25 passengers to hospitals, airline says

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Updated 6:29 AM CDT, July 31, 2025

A Delta Air Lines flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam was hit by serious turbulence, sending 25 passengers to hospitals and forcing the flight to divert to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the airline said.

The Airbus A330-900, which can seat over 250 people, landed around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday. The airport fire department and paramedics met the flight. The 25 passengers were taken to hospitals for evaluation and treatment, the airline said.

One passenger said people who weren’t wearing seat belts were thrown about the cabin.

“They hit the ceiling, and then they fell to the ground,” Leann Clement-Nash told ABC News. “And the carts also hit the ceiling and fell to the ground and people were injured. It happened several times, so it was really scary.”



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/delta-flight-turbulence-injuries-f93bc14c4c6f27d0be137483938fddfe

[BoRaGard]

1. Oh jeez - nightmare flight

[snowybirdie]

2. A reason

To never take off your seat belt

[cloudbase]

4. Perhaps it's time to make it mandatory when seated.

[cos dem]

5. It already is mandatory when seated.

Unfortunately, many ignore it. But it's certainly good practice.

[cloudbase]

7. Not quite.

Seat belt use is mandatory for passengers

1. During takeoff and landing
2. Any time the seat belt sign is illuminated
3. When instructed by crew members
4. When the aircraft is in motion on the surface

As per the FAA's Air Carrier Operations Bulletin 1-94-27 and part 91.107(a)(3) of FAA regulations.

I can envision the carriers asking for mandatory use while seated, if only to reduce potential liability should another incident happen as described in the OP.

[Ocelot II]

9. When they encounter turbulence they turn on the seat belt sign,

but clear-air turbulence can sneak up on you. So just leave the damn seat belt on all the time.

[sdfernando]

10. When I fly I always keep my seat belt fastened

even if only loosely. Only time it is off during flight is when I use the loo. Always keep the belt on!!!

[Ocelot II]

3. They tell you to leave your seat belt fastened all the time. This is why.

Delta used to have a really good turbulence plotting system, but climate change (which doesn't really exist, just ask the GOP) might have made it obsolete.

[Cheezoholic]

11. The first one to fly through an area of clear air turbulence feels it first. I think of it as a rogue wave in the air

ATC still does a good job of warning aircraft approaching (from either direction and at the same general altitude) once an aircraft initially reports it. While there are some forecast tools that can pick out possible areas it doesn't always occur. If your the first to encounter theres not a whole lot you can do other than, like many said, keep your seatbelt on even loosely. I might add that the flight path was across the rocky mountains into the Northern plains at the same time that an anomalous cold air system for August is working its way southward. A lot of downsloping flow from this system along the East side of the mountains can create ripples upwards through the atmosphere. This Northern plains along with the desert SW have a higher frequency of clear air turbulence than other areas around the country. Sail plans take advantage of this phenomena and can fly from southern Utah all the way up to the Grand Tetons and back riding the mountain "wave" like a surfer in the atmosphere. Whether Climate Change is exasperating this specific phenomena would be difficult, not impossible, but difficult to study. Like rogue waves in the ocean, we usually only know about them when something encounters them.

And just another point to simplify it for people, these incidents get magnified because they are occurring in an aircraft at 30 thousand ft while your having cocktails. The forces and altitude changes are about the same as you would experience on your average roller coaster. Imagine being on that coaster with no lap bar trying to have a beer

[ProudMNDemocrat]

6. Unless I have to use the restroom, I KEEP my seatbelt on at all times.

Flying Delta in November down to Jacksonville to visit friends who live 45 minutes to the north in SE Georgia.I have been flying in commercial and small planes since 1967. I have experience bouts of turbulence in Commercial liners before. I always keep my seat belt on when in the seat.

The worst experience I had with turbulence was in May of 1977 over Georgia on our way to Tallahassee, Florida in a Cessna Cardinal. My husband requested lower altitude from 9,000 feet up to around 4,000 feet. On the radio, I could hear other pilots requesting lower altitude due to excessive turbulence as well. We were in clouds the whole time. I did what I could to keep my infant son calm and my stomach from rebelling. It was such a strong southerly head wind that made it feel like someone took the plane from the wings and lifted it up 30 feet or so and let it drop. . After a 2nd time that happened, I thought we were going to all die. My daughter was 2 at the time.

When we finally did land in Tallahassee, I literally slid out of the airplane and kissed the ground. I was so happy this leg of the flight was done for the day. The next day after takeoff flying from Tallahassee to Ft. Meyers, than to Melbourne/Ft. Lauderdale, there was more more turbulence when flying over the Everglades. It was not yet Hurricane Season, but well into the upper 80's.

[kimbutgar]

13. Same here always keep my seat belt on unless I go to the bathroom!

[RussBLib]

8. thank goodness planes are made to withstand turbulence

...or should I say "thank science?"

https://russblib.blogspot.com

[kimbutgar]

12. My sister in law is a flight attendant for delta and flies internationally out of Salt Lake City and was booked

To work that flight but switched with another attendant to go to London instead. When I heard it on the news I came home and told my husband to call her and she was in London and couldn’t leave because the plane they were going to use was diverted to pick up the people to fly to Amsterdam. She is stuck in London for a few days.

I myself love to travel but the FAA under this Ex fox host reality show idiot makes me never want to get on a plane again. And since they have also got rid of the scientists who watch/predict could have warned about this weather pattern I’ll just travel by car now. And I had planned a trip to London in the fall but luckily didn’t book a hotel yet.