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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

11 hospitalized from Delta flight after turbulence flying into Atlanta

Delta’s Airbus A350.    (Hyosub Shin/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)
By Kelly Yamanouchi The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATLANTA — Eleven people from a Delta Air Lines flight were taken to the hospital with injuries from severe turbulence while flying into Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Tuesday evening.

The injured include crew members and passengers on Delta flight 175 from Milan to Atlanta on an Airbus A350-900, according to the airline. The flight experienced severe turbulence before landing in Atlanta just before 7 p.m., as thunderstorms were coming into the Atlanta area. The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported turbulence about 40 miles northeast of the airport.

The injuries were not life-threatening, according to a Hartsfield-Jackson spokesman.

“Our priority is taking care of our customers and crew who sustained injuries,” Delta said in a written statement.

There were a total of 151 passengers, 10 flight attendants and four pilots on the plane. U.S. Customs and Border Protection cleared passengers who needed medical attention. Delta said it is providing accommodations, food and rebooking for customers who were not injured.

The FAA said it will investigate the incident.

Elsewhere on Tuesday evening, Atlanta-based Delta also had two emergency landings.

A flight from Memphis to Delta’s Salt Lake City hub diverted to Wichita after an aircraft pressurization issue that required flying at a low altitude.

And a flight from Salt Lake City to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport diverted to Denver after a “suspected issue with the aircraft’s hydraulic system,” according to Delta.