A few seconds of cold sweats, enough to leave the passengers traumatized. A Boeing plane from Air Europa was forced to make an emergency landing Monday in Natal, Brazil, after severe turbulence that left about forty people slightly injured, according to local health services. “Scratches or minor trauma” and “minor contusions” were reported, but also fractures, according to travelers. Passengers able to resume their journey have left for Montevideo, the Spanish company announced on Tuesday.
What happened ?
The plane, a 787-9 Dreamliner carrying 325 passengers, had left Madrid on Sunday for Montevideo. But “due to the extent of the turbulence, for greater safety,” the plane had to be diverted to Natal, in the northeast of Brazil, where it “landed normally” on Monday, Air Europa explained in a statement.
The landing took place at 02:42 local time (07:42 in Paris), Zurich Airport Brasil, the company that manages Natal International Airport, said in a statement sent to AFP. “Natal was the fastest airport to take care of passengers with medical needs,” the company explained on its X account. As soon as the landing, numerous ambulances arrived on the scene.
“There was a very slight turbulence, we barely felt it, and suddenly the plane suddenly fell and we were all lifted up. Those of us who were not wearing seat belts flew away and some remained stuck to the ceiling. It lasted 3 to 5 seconds,” one passenger said, quoted by the Brazilian newspaper O Globo. Photos and videos circulating online showed significant damage, such as a collapsed seat back and parts of the cabin ceiling detached, sometimes hanging in the air.
One of the passengers, Mariela Jodal, for example, published a photo on the social network X showing large yellow tubes from the inside of the aircraft on the ceiling.
She later shared a video of the plane’s darkened rows, before filming feet sticking out of an overhead luggage compartment. The passenger “flew up and stayed there,” she said.
The man was then able to be pulled out and brought back to the ground, as shown in other videos also circulating online. In some other videos, an injured man can also be seen being evacuated from the cabin on a stretcher by firefighters.
What condition are the injured in?
According to the Health Secretariat of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte, of which Natal is the capital, 40 passengers were transferred to hospitals, “with scratches or minor trauma.” Eleven remained hospitalized Monday afternoon.
An initial report from Air Europa indicated “seven people injured of various kinds, as well as a still undetermined number (of passengers) who suffered minor bruises”. In one of its latest updates, it explained that “the minor injuries reported are already being treated”. As for the more seriously injured, “all those requiring medical assistance are being treated in the centres in Natal”, it added.
Claudio Fernandez Arbes, a 43-year-old Uruguayan psychologist, told AFP that one passenger suffered a heart attack and a woman broke her hip. “Strong turbulence caused us to hit the ceiling, several passengers have fractures or are badly bruised,” another passenger, Romina, also commented on X.
“Some passengers have fractures and injuries to their arms, faces and legs,” another passenger was quoted as saying by CNN. “It was a pretty horrible feeling; we thought we were going to die there, but thank God that didn’t happen.”
Among the injured are people of Spanish, Argentine, Uruguayan, Israeli, Bolivian and German nationality.
How did the company react?
The Spanish airline said the plane would remain in Natal for a “check-up to determine the extent of the damage.” The passengers were transferred to the city of Recife, 290 km south of Natal, “where they were accommodated before leaving soon for Montevideo,” Air Europa initially said.
This Tuesday morning, she announced on X that the travelers had finally left for Montevideo, “with an expected arrival at 07:20 local time.” “People who need medical care continue to be cared for in (hospital) centers in Natal, where Air Europa staff are ready to meet their needs,” she added.
The company has come under fire from several passengers, who accuse it of poor communication and inadequate care for travelers. “The worst was the martyrdom of those 40 to 50 minutes to Natal, when we didn’t know what was going to happen. At one point, they said we were going to continue to Montevideo and people started to protest,” Claudio Fernandez Arbes told AFP.
On X, Mariela Jodal, who says she was not injured “thanks to the seat belt”, stated that the crew left upon arrival in Natal, and that the passengers were “left to their own devices” in the airport.
Why is this type of case worrying?
Turbulence, which is usually a frequent occurrence, has been thrust into the spotlight in recent months, with several recent cases of serious incidents. In May, a 73-year-old British man died and several other passengers and crew were seriously injured in severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 flight.
Climate change is causing more turbulence in flights, scientists say. According to a 2023 study, the annual duration of turbulence increased by 17% between 1979 and 2020, and severe turbulence, which is rarer, increased by more than 50%.
