Delta flight hits severe turbulence over Wyoming, 18 hospitalized

A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Amsterdam encountered sudden, severe turbulence over Wyoming on July 30 that violently tossed passengers, flight attendants and service carts around the cabin, prompting an emergency diversion to Minneapolis and sending 18 people to hospital, federal investigators said Tuesday. The National Transportation Safety Board said the Airbus A330 endured about two and a half minutes of unexpected turbulence as it passed near Creston, Wyoming, after departing Salt Lake City.

The preliminary NTSB report said the turbulence caught crew members by surprise even though the pilots had altered their route to avoid thunderstorms. The report charts the airplane's track over National Weather Service radar that showed the aircraft flew into a bright red area indicating intense storm activity. The NTSB estimated passengers experienced up to 1.75 times the force of gravity, or 1.75 g, which caused people who were not belted to be thrown upward into the ceiling and then down onto the floor. The agency also reported the left wing dipped as much as 40 degrees at one point.

Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB and FAA investigator, described those...