Eleven people on a Delta Air Lines flight were taken to the hospital on Tuesday after the plane hit turbulence while heading to Atlanta, officials said.
Flight 175 had left Milan, Italy, and was about 40 miles northeast of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport when the crew reported severe turbulence, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which said it will investigate.
The Airbus A350 landed safely at the airport shortly before 7 p.m.
Eleven passengers and crew members were taken to the hospital, Delta said. It didn't provide details on their injuries or conditions.
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A passenger on board the plane told WAGA-TV in Atlanta that nearly a dozen people appeared to have serious head injuries.
"Bunch of blood and awfulness," the passenger told the station. "My fiancée and I are so freaked out, we are renting a car and driving to our final destination instead."
The plane was carrying 151 passengers, 10 flight attendants and four pilots, Delta said.
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“Delta Care Team members are mobilizing to connect with customers,” Delta said in a statement. “Our priority is taking care of our customers and crew who sustained injuries.”
The airline said Delta agents were providing food, lodging and re-booking for the uninjured customers.
The incident was the latest in a series of recent occurrences where people have been hurt by severe turbulence during flights. Last month, four people were injured aboard an Allegiant Airlines flight to Florida when the plane experienced severe turbulence, sending passengers and crew members airborne. Also in July, seven people were injured on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Sydney when the plane hit strong turbulence.
In March, flight from Texas to Germany made an emergency landing in Washington, D.C after severe turbulence rocked the plane. Seven people were hospitalized.
According to a recent study from researchers in England, global warming is to blame for the increased frequency in turbulence. Researchers from the University of Reading found that warmer air from carbon dioxide emissions "is increasing windshear in the jet streams, strengthening clear-air turbulence in the North Atlantic and globally."
