While even severe in-flight turbulence is almost never an indication that the plane is going off course, weather conditions and jets of air will occasionally jolt the plane so suddenly that passengers get injured.
On Aug. 29, a Delta Air Lines (DAL) -) flight going from Italy's Milan to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport ran into turbulence so severe that it led to 11 hospitalizations and harrowing social media footage.
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As some of the passengers aboard the Airbus A350 (EADSF) -) later recounted on social media, the 10-hour flight was only 40 miles away from Atlanta when the plane suddenly "dropped, and folks including myself went flying up out their seats."
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"One woman hit the overhead bin and cracked it," traveler Ayo Suber wrote on Meta (META) -)'s Instagram. "There were several injuries including most of the flight attendants.
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Harrowing Instagram video shows oxygen masks, stretchers and a flight attendant in a neck brace
The compilation of footage captured by Suber shows oxygen masks that came out of their compartments as the plane made a sudden descent and first responders carrying some of the injured passengers out on stretchers after the plane was at the gate.
Eleven out of the 151 passengers and 14 crew members aboard the plane were taken into a nearby hospital with injuries while many others had smaller ones that could be monitored later. Most of those who suffered the more severe injuries were flight attendants — in Suber's video, one is seen being led off the plane in a head bandage and neck brace.
"Our priority is taking care of our customers and crew who sustained injuries," a Delta spokesperson said after the plane landed. "We are grateful for the first responders who met the aircraft to provide medical attention and who are transporting the injured to the hospital."
Pilot explains what causes turbulence and how it comes on
While most likely due to an unexpected change of weather or sky conditions, Delta is currently investigating what caused the turbulence. Delta also said that it was looking to "connect with passengers on Delta 175" regarding their injuries while Suber reminded her followers that this type of unexpected event is why one should never forget to put on the seat belt.
"Always wear your seatbelt on the plane!" she wrote underneath the viral video.
Due to the sudden way that it comes on and lack of understanding about how it affects the plane, turbulence is behind most people's fear of flying.
"Turbulence comes in different shapes and forms," Kyle, a commercial pilot who launched the Dial-a-Pilot program in which travelers can discuss some common flying fears and questions with a pilot, said in a TikTok video in which he explains the phenomenon. "It has to do with the uneven heating and cooling of the earth's surface, it has to do with how the wind moves around the earth's surface, interacting with mountains and air."
