A commercial flight headed from Colombia to New York was forced to make an emergency landing in Miami early Friday morning after encountering severe turbulence that left multiple passengers and crew members injured, authorities said.
Avianca Flight 42, an Airbus A320 carrying an undisclosed number of passengers and crew from Medellín to John F. Kennedy International Airport, diverted to Miami International Airport and landed safely around 3:30 a.m., according to airport and emergency officials.
Discrepancy in Injury Counts
Emergency responders from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue met the aircraft on the tarmac to evaluate what they described as multiple patients. The department said eight people were transported to local hospitals, including one person whose injuries were severe enough to require transport to a trauma center.
Avianca officials gave a slightly higher figure, telling CBS News Miami that nine individuals — six passengers and three crew members — sustained injuries and were taken to a medical facility for care. The full extent of their injuries was not immediately disclosed, though video reviewed by NBC6 showed passengers holding ice packs against their heads while remaining in their seats.
Flight-tracking records from FlightRadar24 indicated the aircraft was cruising at roughly 35,000 feet north over the Caribbean before initiating a rapid descent of about 25,000 feet roughly two and a half hours into the journey, the New York Post reported.
“When we arrived, when we landed, we saw that very close to where we were going to disembark, there were more than five or six ambulances,” passenger Maria Paula Jimenez told CBS News Miami. “Seven of them with their lights on as if they were waiting for something. When we arrived, well, you know, it wasn’t normal.”
Airline Response and Investigation
In a statement, Avianca emphasized its commitment to passenger safety: “The safety of our customers and employees is, and will remain, the foundation of our operations.” Airline personnel assisted travelers who were not hurt, rebooking them on alternative flights so they could finish their trip to New York on Friday morning, the carrier said.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed Friday that it has launched an investigation into the incident.
Severe in-flight turbulence remains relatively uncommon, but aviation groups and atmospheric scientists note that encounters appear to be rising as climate shifts influence atmospheric jet streams. The International Air Transport Association reported that turbulence filings surged by more than 25 percent last year. The FAA continues to urge airline passengers to keep their seatbelts fastened whenever seated to guard against sudden atmospheric disturbances.
Federal regulators have not yet released preliminary findings regarding atmospheric conditions during the flight, and investigators have not indicated how long the inquiry will take.
