A warning to airline passengers from Canada’s Transportation Safety Board: buckle up and keep that seat belt buckled
The warning was posted on Twitter Thursday after 21 passengers–including three children–had to be taken to hospital following an eruption of violent turbulence that caused multiple injuries on an Air Canada flight from China on Wednesday.
The Boeing 777-300 ER with 332 passengers and 19 crew on board was en route from Shanghai to Toronto when it encountered the turbulence and diverted to Calgary to treat the injured.
Emergency Medical Services enacted its mass casualty protocol at Calgary International Airport, and 15 ambulances were sent to the scene.
Passengers were taken through the terminal on stretchers and wheelchairs to waiting ambulances with injuries ranging from minor sprains to serious chest and neck trauma.
None of the injuries were life-threatening, but three passengers were still in hospital late Thursday.
Passenger Connie Gelber told reporters most of those hurt had not been wearing their seat belts and were hurled around the cabin as the aircraft went through violent drops and rises.
Another passenger, Bing Feng, said she heard a lot of people screaming, “like what you would hear on a roller-coaster.”
Air Canada says flight AC088 continued on to Toronto Wednesday night, and all but a few remaining passengers were to fly out of Calgary on Thursday.
The TSB is investigating the incident.
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