New Delhi: An Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi on Tuesday encountered severe mid-air turbulence and a sudden 300-foot drop in altitude in which 17 people onboard were injured, while the aircraft cabin also sustained damages.
Flight AI2379, which took off from Phuket at 8:41 AM having 134 passengers onboard, underwent high turbulence when it entered the skies of Odisha. Upon landing in Delhi, passengers were quickly disembarked and taken for first aid at the medical centre. At least 13 passengers and 4 crew members suffered injuries.
A passenger recalled, “It had been an hour and a half since the flight. It was early morning. We were sleeping inside the flight. The flight suddenly stopped while moving and turned around…it kept moving like this for 2-3 minutes.”
After a medical examination at the IGI airport, 7 onboard, including 4 crew members and 3 passengers, were shifted to Fortis Hospital in Vasant Kunj.
At Fortis, Dr Ujjwal Vaid, Head of Emergency, later said, “All 3 passengers have been discharged after minor treatment, while crew members continue to receive medical attention. Two of them are confirmed to have suffered spinal injuries.”
Speaking about the possible causes of the injuries, Vaid added, “This is a compression type of injury. Passengers and crew members told us that the flight dipped suddenly. Some passengers had fastened their seat belts while some others hadn’t. Crew members had fastened their seat belts. Still, I think it was a sudden dip in pressure which caused vertical hits of bodies with the ceiling.”
Reacting to the incident, Aviation Expert Shakti Lumba said, “If seat belts are kept on, irrespective of the seat belt sign off, chances of injury due to sudden clear air turbulence are reduced tremendously.”
Visuals emerging from the incident showed cracks in the ceiling of the aircraft, close to the overhead cabin.
NewsX’s analysis found that the August 4 flight landed at IGI Airport at 11 am after completing the journey in just 3 hours and 49 minutes. The flight was 25 minutes quicker than the same service on each of the previous six days, possibly reflecting the urgency of the onboard medical emergency.
While acknowledging the incident, the airline in a statement said, “Air India confirms that flight AI2379 experienced a brief in-flight turbulence-related event during cruise, resulting in a momentary change in altitude. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi and all passengers and crew have safely disembarked.”
“There have been no serious injuries as of now. A small number of passengers and crew members with minor injuries requiring medical assessment have been taken to a medical facility at the airport for precautionary examination and care by Air India’s airport team and medical personnel,” said an Air India spokesperson in the immediate aftermath of the incident on Tuesday.
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a statement said investigation into the cause of turbulence is underway. “The aircraft has been moved to the hangar and the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder have been secured for detailed examination. DGCA has initiated a detailed investigation into the occurrence,” said DGCA.