A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operated by Air Europa from Spain to Uruguay encountered severe turbulence over the Atlantic and had to be diverted to Brazil. Injuries in the cabin were reported, including some passengers with neck and skull fractures.
On Monday morning, Flight UX045 made an emergency landing in the seaside city of Natal, Brazil, after "heavy" turbulence. Thirty-six passengers were treated for injuries, and 23 were taken to a hospital, according to The New York Times, citing local health and airport officials.
It seems the injuries and damages during the #turbulence happened aboard #AirEuropa #UX045 Madrid to Uruguay flight was NOT because of a sudden drop in altitude. The FlightRadar24 data shows a sudden drop in speed by 259kmph in 27 sec.
— Jacob K Philip (@JacobKPhilip) July 2, 2024
(1/3) pic.twitter.com/JgKM5C0kFP
The flight path and data from the Madrid to Montevideo Air Europa flight, which experienced extreme turbulence, from Flightradar24.
— zenXV (@zenxv) July 2, 2024
2.32 am snapshot when the apparent call to divert to Natal International Airport, Brazil, was made. B789 / UX045#avgeekhttps://t.co/p94uPIG9Sc pic.twitter.com/dUlnjZ9Djz
Passengers explained to media outlet Telemundo that at least one passenger flew out of his seat and became stuck in the overhead luggage bins.
Passenger videos uploaded on X show the chaos in the cabin:
Passenger Stuck in the Ceiling After Plane Hit Severe Turbulence
— marknehpets (@mapkpets) July 1, 2024
A video has surfaced showing an Air Europa passenger being pulled out of the ceiling after the Boeing 787 hit severe turbulence.Flight UX045 was heading from Madrid, Spain, to Montevideo, Uruguay, when the captain pic.twitter.com/hXfF1szqjI
There was an incident involving an Air Europa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (registration EC-MTI) flight UX045 from Madrid to Montevideo, Uruguay 🇺🇾
— DISASTER TRACKER (@DisasterTrackHQ) July 1, 2024
▪︎ 1 July 2024 ▪︎
The flight encountered severe turbulence while en route, causing injuries to 30 people on board.
The aircraft… pic.twitter.com/szkWmEPcgK
"Due to the nature of the turbulence and for safety reasons, it was decided to divert the flight to Natal International Airport in Brazil," Air Europa wrote in a statement quoted by ABC News.
Air Europa said the 787-9 was carrying 325 passengers at the time of the incident.
"The sensation was one of terror, feeling that you are falling and that it does not end," one passenger told media outlet El Observador, adding, "And you are aware that you are falling at an incalculable speed. And you felt that it ended there, that you died."
Turbulence is common across the aviation industry. However, severe events like this are less common.
About 1.5 months ago, in mid-May, a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER experienced an abrupt drop that injured dozens.
