Summary
- A United flight diverted to Memphis due to severe turbulence, with some passengers receiving injuries.
- Recent incidents of turbulence-related diversions and injuries highlight growing safety concerns.
- Aviation regulators are calling for increased collaboration and guidelines for safer skies.
Another case of turbulence has surfaced, this time affecting a United Airlines flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Chicago. While airplanes are built to withstand turbulence to a certain extent, this incident was severe enough to force a diversion and injure some passengers.
United flight diverts
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United Airlines
flight traveling from Cancun, Mexico, to Chicago O’Hare, had to divert to Memphis after it encountered severe turbulence. The aircraft, a Boeing 737, was performing flight UA 1196 with a scheduled departure of 12:20 and an arrival of 16:15. The flight usually takes a little over three hours to complete.
On Wednesday, August 28, the 737 faced some turbulence over Louisiana when the seatbelt sign was on. The plane was carrying more than 175 people, with reports of six people receiving minor injuries and one additional person who had to be taken to hospital upon landing.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
United said that the aircraft was met with paramedics at the gate and that it was “grateful to our crew for their efforts to ensure the safety of our employees and customers.” ABC 24 quoted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as saying,
“United Airlines Flight 1196 landed safely at Memphis International Airport around 2:50 p.m. local time on Wednesday, August 28, after the crew reported severe turbulence over Louisiana. The Boeing 737-900 departed from Cancun International Airport and was originally headed to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The FAA will investigate.”
Recent incidents
Incidents of severe turbulence resulting in diversions or injuries are increasingly being reported. Two such cases surfaced just this month alone. An
EVA Air Jakarta-Taiwan flight encountered turbulence
a few days ago, injuring six flight attendants.
The incident took place on a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft during meal service when flight attendants are particularly vulnerable. According to reports, six flight attendants received minor injuries, and none of the passengers were injured.
Photo: Abdul N Quraishi – Abs | Shutterstock
Earlier this month, a Southwest Airlines flight from Manchester, New Hampshire, to Baltimore encountered turbulence, and a passenger received serious injuries. The FAA is investigating the incident.
On August 8, four American Airlines flight attendants were injured after the Airbus A321 faced unexpected turbulence. The aircraft was performing flight 2905 from Tampa International Airport to Charlotte Douglas International. Thankfully, the plane landed safely, and the crew members were taken to hospital for treatment.
Some airlines are also tweaking their policies to keep passengers and flight crew secure during turbulence. For example, Korean Air has
removed instant noodles from the economy cabin menu
to prevent burn injuries during turbulence. Singapore Airlines has also suspended the service of hot drinks and meals when the seatbelt sign is on.
Photo: Fabian Joy | Shutterstock
Call for action
With so many turbulence-related incidents being reported these days, aviation regulators around the world are calling for more efforts to keep the skies safe. At a summit hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recently, some of the member nations proposed more collaboration among airlines and even came up with some guidelines to reduce the frequency of turbulence-related incidents in the future. Simple Flying has analyzed it in detail in the article below.
