A Delta Air Lines-operated Airbus A330-900 was diverted to Minneapolis on 30 July after hitting severe turbulence en route to Amsterdam.
Flight DL56 out of Salt Lake City encountered rough air while flying over Wyoming, Delta confirms on 31 July.
Data provided by flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 shows the widebody aircraft abruptly gaining about 1,000ft of altitude, then dropping more than 2,000ft before levelling off at 37,000ft.
Images shared on social media show a chaotic scene inside the aircraft, with food, drinks and personal effects strewn throughout the cabin.
The A330 was diverted to Minneapolis St Paul International airport, where it was greeted by emergency responders and medical personnel.
Of the 275 passengers and 13 crew aboard the A330, 25 people were taken to hospitals for injury treatment, Delta says.
”All seven crew members who were taken to area hospitals after the flight landed were treated and released by Thursday morning,” the airline says. ”All customers who were evaluated at the hospital and willing to share their status with Delta have also been released.”
Delta says it is cooperating with an investigation by the US National Transportation Safety Board, which will probe the incident’s circumstances.
The airline arranged for a “special flight” from Minneapoliis to Amsterdam’s Schipol airport on 31 July, allowing passengers to “carry on with their journey”.
