A Qatar Airways flight struck severe turbulence over Turkey, injuring 12 people on board, before landing as scheduled in Dublin on Sunday.
Passengers on the flight said at least one crew member was flung into the air as the aircraft suddenly lost altitude, according to RTE News. One man recalled the plane dropping for several seconds, sending food flying around the cabin, while others described a sense of panic and fear on the plane.
The incident comes less than a week after a Singapore Airlines service from London to Singapore was forced to make an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok after hitting turbulence. One man died and dozens of others were injured on that flight when the plane unexpectedly plummeted.
Qatar Airways Flight QR017 from Doha was met by emergency fire and rescue services on arrival shortly before 1pm local time (7pm Thailand time), Dublin Airport said in a statement. Six passengers and six crew members reported injuries.
One passenger told RTE News that the seatbelt sign wasn’t lit when the Boeing 787 hit turbulence. Some of the crew were left with scratched faces, while one person had their arm in a sling, one female passenger said.
While death and serious injury from turbulence is rare, research indicates that global warming will make such events more common. Climate change is leading to more turbulence because changes in wind speed at different altitudes are becoming more extreme, according to a study by meteorologists at the University of Reading.
Qatar Airways said in a statement that those injured on the flight are receiving medical attention and the incident is the subject of an internal investigation. “The safety and security of our passengers and crew are our top priority,” the airline said.