Tourismupdated 2h ago2 min read
Avianca Flight 42 Diverts to Miami After Severe Turbulence Injures Eight Passengers
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Flight from Medellín to JFK diverted to Miami after turbulence injured eight passengers. Eight passengers hospitalized after diverting to Miami following turbulence.
Flight Diverted to Miami
Avianca Flight 42, traveling from Medellín, Colombia, to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, diverted to Miami International Airport after severe turbulence injured passengers.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the aircraft landed safely at Miami International Airport at about 3.30 am local time (0730GMT), and the agency said eight people were injured.
Avianca said the flight "encountered unexpected turbulence during its journey" and it diverted "as a precaution and in accordance with the airline’s safety protocols".
Greg Chin, communications director of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, said Avianca Flight 042 landed at Miami International Airport at 3:30 a.m., and he said "Eight passengers were transported to a nearby hospital."
How Many Were Hurt
Avianca officials told CBS News Miami that nine people were injured, including three crew members and six passengers, while Miami-Dade Fire Rescue told CBC News it transported one person to the main trauma centre and seven others were taken to local hospitals by private ambulances. Maria Paula Jimenez, a passenger who was at Miami International Airport as the Avianca flight arrived, described seeing "more than five or six ambulances" waiting close to where passengers would disembark.
CBS News Miami reported that Jackson Memorial Hospital confirmed that seven people were under its care and that they had since been discharged, while the status of the eighth injured was unknown. The New York Times said nine people were injured early Friday and eight were taken to hospitals, and it quoted Reyna Figueroa saying the aircraft "encountered unexpected turbulence".
Aftermath and Investigation
Avianca said the remaining passengers were being assisted by the airline's airport team to continue their journey to New York City, and the airline said it remains in contact with the affected passengers and crew members. The Federal Aviation Administration said it would be investigating the incident, and the New York Times said the original aircraft is undergoing the appropriate safety and maintenance inspections.
Aviation attorney Pablo Rojas told CBS News Miami that the incident involved an international flight and that it "is governed by the Montreal convention". The Guardian said Miami-Dade fire rescue transported one person to a trauma center with severe injuries while seven others were taken to area hospitals in ambulances, and it said Avianca rebooked unhurt passengers on other flights to continue their trip to New York.