Emergency services rushed to meet an aircraft after it landed at Son Sant Joan airport following an incident onboard. The plane was hit with severe turbulence, injuring several people
Passengers were left in shock after they were hit by severe turbulence mid-flight to Spain – leaving several people injured.
The Ryanair plane had left Vitoria on the Spanish mainland for Palma in Mallorca, when a sudden bout of turbulence disrupted the aircraft this morning. 180 passengers were onboard at the time of the incident. Two flight attendents were badly injured after one of them was hurled up in the air and hit the ceiling. The other attendent was hit by a catering trolley, which they were taking down the aisle.
Several other crew members were injured as they were standing at the time of the incident. Emergency services raced to Son Sant Joan airport to meet the aircraft once it landed. An ambulance quickly went to the stairs of the plane to take care of the injured and, after a few minutes, it was possible to disembark the passengers.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “FR4615 from Vitoria to Palma de Mallorca on 21st September experienced some air turbulence prior to landing. The captain called ahead for medical assistance for two cabin crew and the aircraft landed normally.”
The incident comes after bad weather had already begun to cause delays due to heavy rains. The storms in Mallorca led to complications when the flight between the capital of Alava and Ciutat was approaching its destination. When the flight attendants complied with the protocol, making sure that the backrests and passenger tables were in the right position, the shock occurred.
The turbulence caused a sensation of shaking inside the plane that caused one of the stewards to impact with the roof and another to receive a strong blow from the cart he was pushing. The extent of the injuries remains unclear at this time.
Earlier this year, nine people – including a toddler and a crew member – were injured after a Ryanair plane flew into a severe thunderstorm. The aircraft, which was carrying 185 people on board at the time, was flying from the German capital Berlin to the Italian city Milan when the pilot made emergency landing at Memmingen Airport in Bavaria.
A spokesperson for the airline said at the time: “FR8 from Berlin to Milan on 4th June diverted to Memmingen after experiencing some air turbulence. The captain called ahead for medical assistance and the aircraft landed normally.
“To get passengers to their final destination as quickly as possible, we arranged for alternative transport from Memmingen to Milan that night, as well as a replacement flight this morning. We sincerely apologise to passengers affected by this diversion.”