Avianca flight diverts to Miami after severe turbulence injures passengers

An Avianca flight bound for New York diverted to Miami early Friday after severe turbulence injured at least eight people, one of whom was taken to a trauma center, officials said.

Flight 42 was traveling from Medellín, Colombia, to John F. Kennedy International Airport when it encountered the turbulence. The Airbus A320 landed safely at Miami International Airport around 3:30 a.m., according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

The fire rescue agency said ambulances took eight injured people to hospitals, including one person with severe injuries who was brought to a trauma center. Avianca officials gave CBS News Miami a different count, saying nine people were hurt: six passengers and three crew members. Further details about the injuries were not available.

Maria Paula Jimenez, a passenger on another flight arriving at Miami International Airport, told CBS News Miami that she saw ambulances near the area where she was to disembark.

“When we arrived, when we landed, we saw that very close to where we were going to disembark, there were more than five or six ambulances. Seven of them with their lights on as if they were waiting for something,” Jimenez said in Spanish. “When we arrived, well, you know, it wasn’t normal.”

Avianca said its airport team was helping passengers continue to New York. The airline said those who were not hurt had been rebooked on other flights. “The safety of our customers and employees is, and will remain, the foundation of our operations,” Avianca said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate the incident.

Serious injuries caused by in-flight turbulence are rare, The Guardian reported, although scientists say such incidents may become more common as the climate crisis alters the jet stream. The International Air Transport Association said reports it received about turbulence incidents rose more than 25% last year.

The Guardian also cited a Delta Air Lines flight last summer on which 24 people were taken to a hospital after the plane encountered turbulence caused by a thunderstorm over Wyoming. The National Transportation Safety Board said passengers and flight attendants were thrown into the ceiling hard enough to crack interior panels, then tossed back to the floor and upward again. The seatbelt sign was off, some passengers were out of their seats and drinks were being served when the turbulence struck.

At least 20 passengers have sued Delta over that incident, arguing that the airline could have avoided the severe weather. The FAA recommends that passengers keep their seatbelts fastened whenever possible to protect against unexpected turbulence.