Five People Injured During Unexpected Turbulence On American Airlines Flight

Five passengers aboard an American Airlines flight from the Caribbean island of Grenada to Miami were taken to a local hospital for minor injuries on Thursday, after experiencing some unexpectedly rough air along the way.

American Flight 982 left Maurice Bishop International Airport in Grenada yesterday morning and landed in Miami with 74 passengers and a five-member crew, with five of those passengers heading to the hospital shortly after, reports the Miami Herald.

The bumpy air seems to have come upon the plane somewhat unexpectedly, as American said in a statement that the plane “encountered turbulence during flight. The seatbelt sign was illuminated at the time and the pilots did not have any indication of severe turbulence in the area.”

After hitting that rough patch, American said the Airbus A319 “landed without further incident.”

And though everyone is probably looking to blame Hurricane Joaquin, which is currently heading for the East Coast, American noted that the turbulence was not related to the storm system, reports CNN: the turbulence hit about 80 miles south-southwest of of Nassau, Bahamas, at 36,000 feet, while Hurricane Joaquin was located 230 miles east-southeast of Nassau.

5 airline passengers injured by turbulence on Grenada to Miami flight [Miami Herald]
Five airline passengers injured during turbulence [CNN]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist