Multiple Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Hits A Delta Airlines Flight Landing at Sydney

A number of individuals have been injured after a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia experienced significant turbulence Friday morning.

Delta Flight 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a company official told. Several cabin crew members sustained injuries.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they treated five patients, and transported three of them to the hospital with minor injuries that included spinal discomfort and headaches. Those affected were between their 30s to 70s.

This marks the most recent case of aircraft encountering severe turbulence, with aviation specialists pointing out that shifting climate patterns is a significant contributor.

The aircraft was carrying 245 passengers and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the official noted, clarifying that the plane landed "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday.

Paramedics indicated they got a call just only 180 seconds prior to the plane arrived, and ambulances were waiting on the tarmac.

Why in-flight bumpiness is becoming more common - and often stronger.

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

Earlier this year, passengers and crew on a certain international flight endured a terrifying brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. A traveler passed away and dozens were injured, as individuals not fastened in lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence during flights, and while cases of rough conditions seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Estimates show that there are around 5,000 incidents of severe or worse turbulence every year, out of a total of over 35 million aircraft departures that are conducted globally.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the vertical motions of a plane going through disturbed air exert in excess of a significant G-force on your body - a strong enough force to lift you out of your seat if you did not have on a seatbelt.

As a changing climate alters weather patterns, researchers alert that air travel could become less smooth: warming trends and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are expected to increase the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.