Turbulence injures five on American Airlines flight to Miami
Here's another reminder for passengers to keep their seat belts fastened in flight.
Five passengers were injured on an American Airlines flight that encountered turbulence Thursday on a flight headed to Miami from the Caribbean island of Grenada.
American Airlines Flight 982 landed on time just before noon ET in Miami. The aircraft touched down safely, but The Miami Herald reports five passengers were taken to local hospitals "for minor injuries from the severe turbulence" encountered in flight.
American confirmed the incident to Today in the Sky, saying "the seatbelt sign was illuminated at the time and the pilots did not have any indication of severe turbulence in the area. ... The Airbus A319 landed without further incident at 11:58 a.m. ET and taxied safely to the gate. Five passengers were transported to a local hospital to receive medical attention for injuries. American has deployed CARE team members to provide support for the injured passengers."
The airline said the unexpected turbulence was several hundred miles away from Hurricane Joaquin at the time of the incident.
"The turbulence occurred approximately 80 miles SSW of Nassau, Bahamas at 36,000 feet," American spokesman Ross Feinstein says to Today in the Sky. "Hurricane Joaquin at that time was located 230 ESE of Nassau. There were no reports of severe turbulence in the area ... ."
There were 74 passengers and five crew members on the flight, according to American.