25 Hospitalized After Brutal Turbulence Rocks Delta Flight

“Food carts went airborne, people were screaming — it was like a rollercoaster from hell,” says one shaken passenger.

A terrifying Delta flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam turned into a mid-air emergency Wednesday night after severe turbulence injured dozens and forced the pilot to make an emergency landing.

Delta Flight 56, an Airbus A330-900neo carrying 275 passengers and 13 crew, was cruising over Canada when it hit what passengers described as “violent, wave-like turbulence.” The plane was rerouted and made an emergency landing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport just before 8 p.m.

Twenty-five people were hospitalized, Delta confirmed, with injuries ranging from lacerations to possible concussions. Multiple flight attendants were among the wounded.

“This was not your average bump in the sky,” said Joseph Carbone, a passenger who spoke with FOX 13 News. “We were in the middle of meal service. Suddenly, the plane dropped — hard. Food carts flew, trays smashed into the ceiling, people hit their heads. It was chaos.”

Carbone described three separate bursts of turbulence during the ordeal. “The first one was bad. The second one shook the whole plane. The third? It felt like the bottom fell out. I thought we were going down.”

Passengers could be heard praying and crying, he said. “You just hold on and hope. After this, I’m never unbuckling unless I absolutely have to.”

Footage from a livestreamed airport feed — MSP Airport LIVE — captured the aircraft making a rough but controlled landing in Minneapolis. Emergency vehicles swarmed the plane as soon as it reached the gate.

Paramedics boarded immediately to assist the injured. “The crew acted fast and did everything they could,” another passenger posted on X. “But they were clearly shaken too. It was bad.”

In a statement to media, Delta Air Lines said:

“Delta Flight 56 experienced significant turbulence while en route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam. The aircraft was diverted to Minneapolis-St. Paul out of an abundance of caution. Twenty-five individuals were transported to local hospitals for evaluation and care. We thank our crew for their quick actions and the emergency personnel for their swift response.”

The A330-900neo is one of Delta’s most modern long-haul aircraft, introduced in 2020 with enhanced safety and comfort features. Still, even advanced tech couldn’t soften the blow from nature’s fury that day.

Experts say climate change may be making turbulence stronger and more frequent. A 2023 study by the University of Reading found that “clear-air turbulence” — the kind that’s impossible to detect with radar — has increased sharply over North America and Europe in the past 40 years.

“It’s invisible and sudden,” said aviation analyst Mark Weiss, a former commercial pilot. “You can be cruising in smooth skies one moment, then hit what feels like a wall of air the next.”

By Thursday morning, Delta confirmed most of the injured had been released from the hospital, though some remained under observation. Passengers were rebooked on later flights or offered hotel accommodations.

As for Joseph Carbone, he’s in no rush to get back on a plane. “I’ll fly again someday,” he said, “but next time, I’m keeping that seatbelt locked tight — and maybe skipping the meal.”