A Delta Air Lines flight traveling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing in Minneapolis-St. Paul Wednesday evening after encountering severe turbulence that left 25 people hospitalized, including seven crew members, the airline confirmed.
Delta Flight 56, operated on an Airbus A330-900 carrying 275 passengers and 13 crew, landed safely just before 8 p.m. local time. Emergency medical teams from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Fire Department were on standby at the gate and immediately treated the injured.
Sudden Turbulence Causes Chaos Onboard
Passengers described a terrifying experience as unanticipated turbulence struck without warning.
“There was actually no warning. It was a very abrupt, hard hit,” passenger Leeann Nash told KSTP-TV.
“Everyone that didn’t have a seatbelt on hit the ceiling… Glass bottles were flying, carts hit the ceiling, and people were injured.”
Despite the chaos, Nash praised the flight attendants for remaining calm and professional during the incident.
“They were incredibly calm, very well trained and very responsive,” she said.
All Hospitalized Passengers Released
Delta said Thursday that all 25 people taken to local hospitals for evaluation and care have since been released.
Passengers will resume their journey to Amsterdam on a special Delta flight Thursday evening.
FAA and NTSB Launch Investigation
Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have opened investigations into the incident.
Turbulence remains a leading cause of in-flight injuries, often affecting passengers not wearing seat belts. The event is another reminder of the importance of staying buckled even when the seatbelt sign is off.
