Flights can also bring uncomfortable minutes due to turbulence. This is also the case in two cases involving German airlines: both a Condor and a Lufthansa machine bound for Frankfurt are hit by such air pockets. Several people are easily injured.
Shocking moments for passengers on two planes operated by German airlines. Both Lufthansa and Condor report turbulence on their flights. As Lufthansa reported, a plane on its way from Texas to Frankfurt encountered such severe turbulence that it had to land in Washington unscheduled. A company spokesman said a few people were slightly injured in the incident.
The affected passengers were given first aid on board by the flight attendants trained for these cases. After flying through the turbulence, the cockpit crew of flight LH469 decided to make an alternate landing at Dulles International Airport. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers. The air movements were so-called clear air turbulence, which could occur without visible weather phenomena and advance warning, it said.
The machine, which started in Austin, Texas, was caught in turbulence 90 minutes after taking off. According to US media reports, the airport operator – the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority – and the US aviation authority FAA announced that seven people had been taken to hospitals.
Several people were also injured on a Condor flight from Frankfurt to Mauritius. A Condor spokeswoman said on request that around 20 injuries had been reported to passengers and crew members. People would be medically examined. Some had bruises. No information could be given about the exact severity of the injuries.
The plane with 272 passengers and 13 crew members got into turbulence about two hours before landing at the airport near the capital Port Louis. The plane landed safely at 6:29 a.m. local time. Flight DE 2314 took off from Frankfurt on Wednesday at 4:10 p.m. There was damage in the cabin of the machine that now needs to be examined.
