An Avianca Airbus A320 flying from Medellin to New York's JFK airport diverted to Miami International Airport early Friday after encountering severe turbulence that injured passengers and crew. The plane landed around 3:30 a.m. with emergency crews waiting on the tarmac.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported eight people to hospitals, with one suffering severe injuries rushed to a trauma center. The airline said nine people were affected in total - three crew members and six passengers.
Passengers who were unhurt were flown onward Friday morning. Turbulence injuries, while relatively uncommon on a per-flight basis, are one of the most frequent causes of in-flight medical emergencies across commercial aviation.
Aviation safety experts consistently advise passengers to keep seat belts fastened whenever seated, noting that severe clear-air turbulence can strike with little warning even on otherwise calm flights.
