One passenger was taken to hospital after a United Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence on Wednesday and was diverted to Memphis.
According to the airline, Flight 1196 was en route from Cancun, Mexico to Chicago when “a brief period of severe turbulence occurred while the seat belt sign was on.”
United reported that the plane landed safely in Memphis and that paramedics were waiting for the plane at the gate.
Ultimately, the plane flew on to Chicago, where it arrived on Wednesday evening.
This year has seen a number of high-profile turbulence events, including an incident on a Singapore Airlines flight in May that injured 30 people. One passenger also died in that incident, although the immediate cause of death may have been an unrelated health issue.
Is the turbulence getting worse?
Climate change has contributed to turbulence becoming more frequent and more intense. While it is still extremely rare to encounter the most severe form of turbulence, it does happen.
Passengers can stay safe by remaining buckled in when seated, even if the seatbelt sign is off. That’s because so-called clear air turbulence can occur unexpectedly and is most likely to cause injury, since people are least likely to be buckled in when it happens.
Cross height: Airplanes are made for bad weather, so why is your flight cancelled?
“When someone asks me about turbulence, I say the same thing,” Thomas Guinn, associate dean of applied aeronautical sciences at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, previously told USA TODAY. “If you’re strapped in, the chances of you getting hurt in turbulence are slim.”
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Severe turbulence sent United Airlines passenger to hospital in Memphis
