People on two flights of German airlines were injured due to severe turbulence. One of the aircraft was on its way from the American city of Austin to Frankfurt, the other from Frankfurt to the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. There is no connection between the two incidents.
The plane that took off in Austin belonged to the airline Lufthansa. Because of the turbulence, it made a stopover in Washington DC. Seven people were taken to a hospital there, the American aviation regulator FFA says to American media.
About ninety minutes after takeoff from Texas, the plane ran into trouble. An eyewitness tells The Washington Post that the occupants had just started their dinner when the turbulence started. According to the passenger, the plane appeared to be in “free fall”; people and food flew through the air to the ceiling.
A spokesman for Lufthansa cannot confirm that information to the German news agency DPA. According to the spokesman, there was clear air turbulence. This type of turbulence is difficult to avoid because it cannot be detected by weather radar. The pilots would have been surprised by the intensity.
Around the same time, tonight Dutch time, turbulence also arose on a flight from Frankfurt to Mauritius of the Condor airline. The plane started shaking two hours before landing in Mauritius. In the end, the pilots managed to land the plane safely.
There were 272 passengers and 13 crew members on the plane. The turbulence injured 20 people, both passengers and staff. A spokesman for Condor reports to DPA that they were medically examined after landing and that some of them suffered bruises.
According to the spokesman, there was no thunder, but the sky was not clear either. The sign ‘fasten seat belts’ would have been given. The cabin of the aircraft was damaged by the turbulence. It is now being investigated.
- Dozens injured after turbulence on flight to Hawaii
- Eight injured by turbulence at Berlin-Tegel
