A Number of Hurt as Turbulence Hits Delta Plane into Sydney

A number of individuals have been injured following a Delta aircraft from Los Angeles to Sydney encountered turbulence Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, an airline spokesperson told. Several cabin crew members were injured.

Emergency medical services reported they assessed five patients, and transported a trio to hospital with minor injuries that comprised back pain and headaches. Those affected ranged from their 30s to 70s.

The event represents the most recent case of aircraft experiencing turbulence, with researchers saying that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

On board were nearly 250 travelers and fifteen staff members on the wide-body jet, the official said, adding that the plane touched down "safely and normally" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday.

Emergency responders reported they got a call just only 180 seconds before the plane arrived, and response teams were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why in-flight bumpiness is becoming increasingly prevalent - and potentially more dangerous.

In the previous year, twenty-five passengers and crew sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight, flying from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, hit "significant" turbulence just two hours into the lengthy trip, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Recently, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines flight went through a frightening short but intense period of extreme instability. An individual lost their life and dozens were injured, as individuals not fastened in lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

In-flight turbulence is fairly routine on aircraft journeys, and while occurrences of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are remained quite uncommon.

Data suggests that there are approximately five thousand cases of severe or worse turbulence every year, out of a total of in excess of 35 million journeys that now take off globally.

Severe turbulence is described as when the up and down movements of a aircraft going through rough air masses generate in excess of a significant G-force on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a safety belt.

As climate change alters atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that air travel could become less smooth: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are likely to increase the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.