Sydney-bound Delta flight hit by extreme turbulence, crew members taken to hospital

A number of people have been injured on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Sydney that encountered severe turbulence this morning.

A Delta Air Lines A350 with 245 customers and 15 crew members was struck by intense turbulence upon descent to Sydney Airport, the airline said.

The event caused flight attendants and several passengers to be jolted from their seats.

Delta said four flight attendants reported injuries, and three were transported to hospital upon arrival for further evaluation. The airline maintains that no passengers reported injuries.

FlightAware data shows Delta flight 41 arrived in Sydney at 6.48am on Friday (AEDT) after departing Los Angeles on Wednesday at 10.11pm (local time).

NSW Ambulance was alerted about 6.45am, minutes before the plane landed, according to flight data.

NSW Ambulance said it treated five people who sustained minor injuries. The three crew were transported to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

“Delta flight 41 from Los Angeles encountered brief turbulence upon descent into Sydney, and four flight attendants reported injuries,” a spokesperson for the airline said.

“Nothing is more important than the safety of our people and our customers, and our priority is taking care of the impacted crew members.”

The injuries, described as “minor”, included back pain and head pain among those who were treated.

It’s not clear why emergency responders’ tally of the injured differs from that of the airline.

Delta Air Lines now operates 17 flights a week from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to the US.

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