A Delta Air Lines flight carrying 288 people encountered severe turbulence Wednesday evening, July 30, forcing an emergency diversion to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and sending 25 passengers to local hospitals for evaluation and treatment.
Flight 56, operating on an Airbus A330-900, departed Salt Lake City International Airport bound for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol when it experienced what the airline described as significant turbulence over Wyoming approximately 45 minutes into the flight. The aircraft was carrying 275 passengers and 13 crew members when the turbulence struck around 37,000 feet altitude.
The flight landed safely at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport at approximately 7:45 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Fire Department and paramedics met the aircraft at the gate to provide initial medical attention to injured passengers before transporting the 25 individuals to area hospitals for further evaluation and care.
Passenger Leeann Nash, who was aboard the flight with her husband, described the sudden onset of the turbulence during dinner service. “There was no warning. It was a very abrupt, hard hit,” Nash told Minneapolis television station KSTP. She said that passengers without seatbelts were thrown against the ceiling before falling to the ground, and the incident occurred multiple times during the turbulent episode.
Multiple passengers reported that beverage carts and glass bottles became airborne during the turbulence. Joseph Carbone, traveling to Kenya through Amsterdam, told reporters the turbulence occurred in three distinct waves, with each becoming progressively more severe. After landing, Carbone said a pilot informed him the aircraft had dropped approximately between 1,000-3,000 feet during the worst portion of the turbulence, though Delta officials have not confirmed this detail.
Another passenger, William Webster, who travels frequently for business, characterized the incident as the most severe turbulence he had ever experienced in his flying career. Webster reported that passengers were screaming as phones and other loose items were thrown through the cabin, and he witnessed beverage carts being launched into the air. Despite the chaos, Webster indicated he avoided injury by keeping his seatbelt fastened and was able to secure his belongings during the turbulent episode.
Flight attendant Leslie Woods described the experience as resembling an earthquake, with the aircraft shaking violently in intermittent episodes lasting approximately one minute. Woods reported that crew members informed her that injuries among staff included broken ribs for one flight attendant, while she personally suffered whiplash from the incident.
Weather conditions over southwestern Wyoming included active thunderstorm development at the time of the incident. Aviation forecasters had issued a SIGMET advisory for significant meteorological hazards, warning pilots of potential severe weather and thunderstorm activity in the region. Radar data indicated thunderstorms in the area had developed to heights between 35,000 and 40,000 feet when the aircraft encountered the turbulence.
By Thursday morning, July 31, Delta confirmed that all passengers who had been transported to hospitals for evaluation were treated and released. The airline also reported that seven crew members who required hospital treatment had been discharged by Thursday morning. Delta’s Care Team reached out directly to affected passengers to assist with immediate needs and coordinate alternative travel arrangements.
The airline arranged a special replacement flight from Minneapolis to Amsterdam on Thursday evening to allow passengers to continue their journeys. Delta emphasized that safety remains its primary operational value and expressed gratitude for the response from emergency personnel and first responders who assisted passengers and crew members.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it would investigate the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the turbulence encounter, with Delta cooperating fully in both inquiries.
Aviation safety data indicates that 207 people suffered turbulence-related injuries between 2009 and 2024, with flight attendants comprising 80 percent of those injured. Recent research suggests that severe clear-air turbulence has increased by 41 percent over the United States since 1979, with climate change potentially contributing to more frequent and intense turbulent conditions as warming atmospheric temperatures affect jet stream patterns.