New Delhi, Aug. 4 -- An Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi encountered severe turbulence on Tuesday morning, causing the aircraft to suddenly lose around 300 feet in altitude and leaving at least 15 people injured, according to officials. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the incident.
The Airbus A320, operating flight AI2379, landed safely at Delhi airport at around 11.30 am. The aircraft was carrying 134 passengers and eight crew members.
Sources said 15 people, including 11 passengers and four cabin crew members, sustained injuries and were shifted to different hospitals. A senior DGCA official said that the Pilot In Command reported one cabin crew member suffered severe injuries, another crew member was injured, and a few passengers sustained minor injuries after the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of approximately 300 feet in altitude.
Air India, however, said the aircraft encountered a brief turbulence-related event during the cruise phase that caused a momentary change in altitude. The airline said the flight landed safely in Delhi and all passengers and crew disembarked without difficulty.
"There has been no report of serious injuries. A small number of passengers and crew members with minor injuries requiring medical assessment have been taken to a medical facility at the airport for precautionary examination and care," the airline said in a statement issued around 1.30 pm.
The carrier said it was extending all necessary assistance to those affected and was fully cooperating with the authorities investigating the incident.
As of now, the plane that made the emergency landing has been shifted to the hanger, and the black boxes including the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) were removed for further analysis.
The DGCA has started with the probe to identify the reason behind the altitude dip and the passengers' safety is the top priority, said the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Besides, the civil aviation ministry is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the DGCA.
While pilots routinely alert passengers about possible turbulence, particularly during adverse weather, incidents causing injuries to passengers and crew are uncommon.
In May 2024, severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore left one passenger dead from a suspected heart attack and injured many others. A similar incident involving a SpiceJet flight from Mumbai to Durgapur in May 2022 resulted in one passenger's death and several injuries.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.