The Most Recent Plane Accidents Caused by Turbulence

By turbli, last updated on Dec. 21, 2024

plane with thunderstorm clouds in the background

We update this article whenever a new accident occurs, or when the final report of a previous accident is released providing additional information.

Despite the outstanding safety record of aviation, accidents do happen; very infrequently, but they do occur. One of the main contributors to accidents is turbulence, which, despite being sometimes branded as something that “does not pose a safety risk”, is one of the leading causes of in-flight injuries.

In this article, we take a look at all turbulence related accidents since 2022 that resulted in 4 or more serious injuries. The value of 4 is of course arbitrary, but it allows us to present only the most relevant and serious accidents which would otherwise be buried in a much longer list.

Lately, turbulence related accidents have been broadcasted to be a result of climate change. While there is plenty of scientific literature suggesting that climate change is increasing turbulence in the atmosphere, isolated events such as a plane hitting turbulence and causing severe injuries are no proof of that. Since they occur rarely, the statistical value of an accident is very very low. For example, if one year there were 2 important turbulence related accidents, and next year 4; does this mean that turbulence strength has doubled? No. Those statements only add confusion (and mistrust) to a complex field where we should only quote the results from rigorous scientific analysis.

number of airbus and boeing flights in the US — Location of all turbulence related accidents since 2022 that caused 4 or more severe injuries. © turbli

Air Europa UX045 turbulence event

Date: 1 July 2024, 04:50 UTC
Route: Madrid (MAD) to Monteviedo (MVD)
Airplane: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with reg number EC-MTI, first flight 2018
Injuries: 6 serious (at least), 36 minor or serious
Turbulence encounter: 36,000 ft over the Atlantic Ocean
Summary: In early morning local time the plane was about to leave the Atlantic Ocean and enter into Brazil, when it suddenly encountered severe turbulence that caused many injuries to passengers, especially those who did not have their seatbelt on. The source of turbulence was not reported. Some possibilities could be thunderstorm activity (although thunderstorms are not very common in early morning), or convective turbulence induced by the temperature differences between land and sea, which tend to peak in early morning. The plane made an emergency landing in the nearby airport of Natal in Brazil.
Sources: Flight Aware, New York Times, Reuters. Offical report not public.

Singapore Airlines SQ321 turbulence event

Date: 21 May 2024, 7:49 UTC
Route: London (LHR) to Singapore (SIN)
Airplane: Boeing 777-300ER with reg number 9V-SWM, first flight 2008
Injuries: 1 fatality, 104 severe or minor injuries
Turbulence encounter: 37000 ft over Myanmar
Summary: While cruising over Myanmar, the plane passed through an area of developing thunderstorm clouds. The pilots did not go into any of these clouds, but while flying around them they were suddenly hit by severe turbulence that tossed the aircraft up and down, inducing peak vertical accelerations of about 1.5Gs. This turbulence was most likely due to near-cloud turbulence such as an outburst of air from one of the clouds. Despite the large accelerations, the maximum vertical displacement of the plane was about 200 ft. After the turbulence, the pilots performed a controlled descent to 36,000 ft and diverted their landing in Bangkok. Upon arrival, it was confirmed that a 73 year old man had died from a heart attack during the flight. Other passengers with serious injuries were also reported, although the exact number of serious and minor injuries was not given.
Sources: preliminary official report

Emirates EK421 turbulence event

Date: 4 December 2023, 21:05 UTC
Route: Perth (PER) to Dubai (DXB)
Airplane: Airbus 380-841 with reg number A6-EEV, first flight in 2014
Injuries: 5 serious, 23 minor, 462 none
Turbulence encounter: Maldives
Summary: While cruising over the Maldives, the pilots observed some off-path thunderstorm cloud formations and a layer of low-level clouds well below the plane’s altitude. The pilots did not go through any of these clouds, but despite this, the plane encountered severe turbulence. Although further analysis is required, it could be due to near-cloud turbulence propagated from the neighboring thunderstorm cloud formations. Despite the injuries and damage to the aircraft interior, the plane continued to Dubai and landed safely there.
Sources: preliminary official report

Delta Airlines DL175 turbulence event

Date: 29 August 2023, 18:31 local time
Route: Milan (MXP) to Atlanta (ATL)
Airplane: Airbus A350-900 with reg number N579DZ, first flight in 2019
Injuries: 4 Serious, 13 Minor, 148 None
Turbulence encounter: 14,000 ft while approaching to Atlanta airport
Summary: While descending towards Atlanta airport, the pilots observed indications of turbulence in their onboard radar and requested air traffic control to take a deviation. Air traffic control asked the pilots to continue on their current track until reaching the OZZZI waypoint, and then deviate. The pilots were aware that there were some clouds with potential turbulent activity around the OZZZI waypoint and asked flight attendants to sit before reaching it. All passengers were seated and with the seatbelt on. Upon entering the cloud, they experienced 2 seconds of severe turbulence. The plane landed safely in Atlanta and 11 people were transported to the hospital.
Sources: preliminary official report

Lufthansa LH469 turbulence event

Date: 1 March 2023, 19:10 local time
Route: Austin (AUS) to Frankfurt (FRA)
Aiplane: Airbus A330-300 with reg number D-AIKK, first flight in 2008
Injuries: 4 serious, 3 minor
Turbulence encounter: 37,000 ft above Tennessee
Summary: While cruising over Tennessee, the plane encountered an area of severe clear air turbulence, usually attributed to jet stream activity. At the moment of the incident the crew was serving dinner, the seatbelt sign was off, and there was no indication of upcoming turbulence. According to passengers, the severe turbulence event lasted a few seconds. The pilot made an announcement afterward mentioning that they had fallen 1,000 ft, and that the flight was going to divert to Dulles. Upon arrival, 7 people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, but subsequent lawsuits raised it to 4 severe and 3 minor.
Sources: Aviation Safety Network, Associate Press. Official report unavailable.

Hawaiian Airlines HA35 turbulence event

Date: 18 December 2022, 10:07 local time
Route: Phoenix (PHX) to Honolulu (HNL)
Airplane: A330-200 with reg number N393HA, first flight in 2013
Injuries: 4 Serious, 20 Minor, 269 None
Turbulence encounter: 40,000 ft above Hawaii
Summary: While cruising at 40,000 ft, the crew was notified by air traffic control that there were areas of severe or greater turbulence around them due to convective activity from thunderstorm clouds. This notice was backed by turbulence forecasts and previous pilot reports placed in a SIGMET warning. Shortly before beginning the descent to Honolulu, the pilots saw a plume rising very quickly in front of them, and, after an assessment of radar data, judged that the severity of turbulence inside it would not pose a safety risk and that it was ok to go through it. The seatbelt sign was turned on, but there was no verbal announcement from the pilots on the upcoming turbulence. This decision was proven to be wrong, since subsequent investigations showed that the plume “comprised cumulonimbus clouds with severe-to-extreme convectively induced turbulence”. The plane experienced vertical accelerations greater than 2 Gs, leading to many injuries among passengers and flight attendants.
Sources: official report