Turbulence forces US-Dutch Delta Airlines flight to land, 25 passengers injured

Twenty-five people were hospitalized after a Delta airlines flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam encountered severe turbulence and was forced to make an emergency landing in Minneapolis, the airline said late on Wednesday.

Flight DL56 landed safely at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport at around 7:25 p.m. local time, where it was met by paramedics and fire crews.

What do we know about Flight DL56?

According to the airport, the turbulence caused injuries onboard, prompting medical teams to treat passengers at the gate and transport 25 individuals to local hospitals for evaluation and care.

"We are grateful for the support of all emergency responders involved," Delta said in a statement.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft experienced a sharp altitude change roughly 40 minutes into the flight, climbing more than 1,000 feet in under 30 seconds before descending about 1,350 feet in the next half-minute. The plane then diverted course toward Minneapolis, where it landed approximately 90 minutes later.

While serious injuries from in-flight turbulence are rare, scientists have said they may become more common as climate change alters atmospheric conditions.

A man died after a Singapore Airlines flight experienced severe turbulence in May 2024, the first such fatality on a major airline in decades.