New York: As many as 34 people were injured after a New York-bound flight from Istanbul, Turkey, encountered severe turbulence, the authorities said. The Turkish Airlines flight 001, a Boeing 777 plane, encountered the turbulence about 45 minutes before it landed at 5.35 pm on Saturday, according to the authorities at the JFK International Airport here.
One flight attendant broke her leg, The New York Times quoted Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as saying.
The rest of the injuries were minor, and included “bumps, bruises and cuts”, Coleman added. The 30 injured people were hospitalised. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the pilot declared an emergency and reported that several passengers were injured.
Turbulence is the leading cause of injuries to passengers and flight attendants, excluding fatal accidents, according to the FAA In 2017, 17 passengers and members of the flight crew were injured in turbulence. In 2016, that number was 44. Since 2002 the highest yearly number has been 94, in 2009.
