Twenty five people aboard a Delta Air Lines flight were taken to hospital after “significant turbulence” forced a plane travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam to make an emergency landing in Minneapolis, the airline said in a statement.
Delta said flight DL56 landed safely at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and was met by medical teams upon arrival.
Twenty-five onboard the flight were taken to area hospitals “for evaluation and care,” Delta said in its statement.
The plane landed about 7.25pm local time on Wednesday (10.25am on Thursday AEST), a spokesperson for the airport told CNN, confirming the flight was diverted “due to reported in-flight turbulence that caused injuries on board”.
The Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport Fire Department and paramedics met the plane at the gate and provided “initial medical attention to passengers in need”, before some were taken to hospitals, the airport spokesperson said.
“We are grateful for the support of all emergency responders involved,” Delta said.
According to data from flight tracking site Flightradar24, the flight climbed by more than 1000 feet in less than 30 seconds about 40 minutes after its departure.
It then descended about 1350 feet over the next 30 seconds, the data showed.
Soon after, the plane altered its course to the north, in the direction of Minneapolis, where it landed safely about an hour and a half later, the Flightradar24 data shows.
Delta and the Federal Aviation Administration have been contacted for more information.
