An American Airlines flight to Miami was forced to make an emergency diversion after severe turbulence left one passenger with a broken leg and several other passengers and crew members with minor injuries.
American Airlines flight AA930 from Sao Paulo made a more than four-hour flight to nowhere after turbulence struck the 24-year-old aircraft as it was flying at around 37,000 feet, prompting the pilots to return immediately from where the plane had taken off.
The flight departed Sao Paulo late Saturday night at around 10:50 pm for what should have been a seven-hour flight to Florida, but a short time after flying over the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, the plane made an abrupt u-turn and flew straight back to Sao Paulo.
Of the 221 passengers and 12 crew members onboard, several people sustained injuries, including one passenger who had to be taken to the hospital with a fractured leg.
After landing back in Sao Paulo, the flight had to be scrapped, and passengers were put up in nearby hotels while alternative arrangements were made for them to travel to Miami.
The aircraft is due to be ferried back to Miami on Tuesday.
The turbulence would likely have struck at the conclusion of the meal service, which is normally one of the busiest times onboard an aircraft when passengers line up to use the bathroom and get up from their seats before settling down for the night.
A couple of years ago, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) revealed that turbulence is the second most significant cause of flight attendant injuries at United Airlines and that accidents and injuries are on the rise.
