Several airline passengers were injured Wednesday night after severe turbulence rattled a Ryanair flight in Germany.
The incident occurred amid severe storms in the region, and at least nine people on board were injured, according to the Associated Press, with three people needing hospital treatment. The other injured passengers received outpatient treatment, and everyone on board was checked for injuries by emergency personnel.
According to German news outlet Bild, the turbulence was severe enough that some passengers were hurled toward the aircraft ceiling. Among the injured passengers who went to the hospital were a 2-year-old child with bruises, an adult woman with a headache, and another passenger with back pain, according to Bild, which also reports that one crewmember was among the injured.
The Ryanair flight on board a Boeing 737-800 plane took off from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) at 7:15 p.m., heading to Milan’s Malpensa Airport (MXP). About an hour into the flight, the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing at Memmingen Airport in Germany’s Bavaria region due to the severe turbulence, data FlightRadar24 shows.
Once on the ground, the airline arranged a bus transport from Memmingen to Milan, which is about 236 miles away, according to the AP.
Incidents of severe turbulence are growing more common, including so-called “clear air” turbulence, which goes undetected until it shakes the plane. "As our climate changes, severe and clear air turbulence instances are on the rise,” Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said after a deadly turbulence incident in 2024.” Always follow crew instructions and wear your seatbelt whenever seated. It is a matter of life and death."
Because clear air turbulence can hit with no warning, it is crucial for all passengers to always have their seatbelts fastened, even when the plane appears to be flying through smooth air.
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