Transportation

25 people taken to hospitals after turbulence forces Delta flight to make emergency landing at MSP

A Delta Air Lines jet
A Delta Air Lines jet leaves a gate in July 2024, at Logan International Airport in Boston. A Delta flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing in the Twin Cities on Wednesday evening after encountering severe turbulence.
Michael Dwyer | AP file

More than two dozen people were injured when a Delta Air Lines flight encountered severe turbulence on Wednesday evening, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in the Twin Cities.

Delta Flight 56 was scheduled to fly from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, with 275 passengers and 13 crew members.

The flight-tracking website FlightAware showed the Airbus A330-900 took off from Salt Lake City at about 4:30 p.m. Mountain time, and made the emergency landing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport just over two hours later — at 7:51 p.m. Central time.

In a statement, Delta said the plane “landed safely at MSP, and medical personnel met the flight upon arrival to evaluate customers and crew.”

“Twenty-five of those on board were transported to local hospitals for evaluation and care. We are grateful for the support of all emergency responders involved,” Delta said.

In an update Thursday, Delta said that seven crew members were among those injured, and all seven were treated and released by Thursday morning.

“All customers who were evaluated at the hospital and willing to share their status with Delta have also been released. We appreciate the response and support of first responders in caring for our customers and crew,” the airline said in the Thursday update.

Delta said it’s cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board on an investigation into the incident. The airline said it will operate a special flight from the Twin Cities to Amsterdam on Thursday evening, to allow the affected passengers to complete their trip.

The Associated Press reported that serious injuries from in-flight turbulence are rare, but scientists say they may be becoming more common as climate change alters the jet stream.

A man was killed when a Singapore Airlines flight hit severe turbulence in May 2024, the first person to die from turbulence on a major airline in several decades.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.