Several Hurt as Turbulence Impacts Delta Plane Arriving in Sydney

Multiple passengers and crew sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines jet originating in LA to Sydney, Australia encountered turbulence on Friday morning.

Delta Flight 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it made its approach and landed at the Sydney airport, a company official stated. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.

Local paramedics reported they assessed five patients, and took three to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries that included spinal discomfort and migraines. Those affected ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.

It is the latest incident of planes being hit by severe turbulence, with experts saying that shifting climate patterns is a major factor.

On board were nearly 250 travelers and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the Delta spokesperson noted, adding that the plane arrived "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday.

The NSW Ambulance Service said they got a call just a mere three minutes before the plane touched down, and response teams were standing by on the runway.

Why plane turbulence is growing increasingly prevalent - and potentially more dangerous.

In the previous year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when another Delta jet, flying from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "considerable" atmospheric disturbance just two hours into the long-haul flight, and had to make an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight went through a harrowing short but intense bout of severe turbulence. A traveler died and dozens were injured, as unbelted passengers rose out of their seats and crashed back down.

Turbulence is not uncommon on aircraft journeys, and while cases of significant turbulence appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence every year, out of a total of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur worldwide.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the vertical motions of a plane experiencing disturbed air exert in excess of 1.5g-force on your body - sufficient force to throw you from your seat if you were not fastened by a restraint.

As a changing climate alters weather patterns, experts warn that air travel could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are likely to boost the regularity and severity of significant turbulence.