The severe turbulence that struck an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi on Tuesday lasted four to five minutes, injuring 17 people on board, civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Wednesday.
“Yesterday when I met them in the hospital, I tried to interact with them and ask them. So they all kind of remember that there was turbulence which was observed in the flight for some time…probably for four to five minutes. And it is during that time that they faced a certain difficulty inside the plane,” Naidu said.
“In terms of the injuries of the crew members, a couple of them have a spinal injury near the tailbone and also near the neck. So the doctors are under continuous surveillance on them. And they have advised that they be under rest and surveillance for some time. So we are taking, according to the advice of doctors, proper support is being provided to them in the hospital,” Naidu added.
The airline said that the 13 injured passengers have been discharged from hospital, while four crew members remain under medical care. “As of 15.30 hrs on August 5, all 13 passengers who were admitted to hospital following the incident involving Air India flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi on August 4 have been discharged. Four crew members remain under medical care and continue to receive treatment,” an Air India spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that Air India teams are present at the hospitals and are in close contact with those affected, providing all necessary assistance and support.
The Airbus A320neo was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members. “The moment the flight landed in Delhi, the airport’s medical assistance team immediately attended them. All the first aid and the medical assistance that needed to be provided was done at the airport itself… there were some passengers and crew members who were observed to need more medical assistance. So they were shifted to Medanta Hospital and Fortis Hospital,” Naidu said on the sidelines of an event in central Delhi.
“Four crew members were admitted to Fortis, where I personally visited along with ministry and DGCA teams. We interacted with the crew members…they have been very brave even after that incident that happened for five minutes mid-air and they were proven to have certain injuries…This plane had to travel for one more hour. From that time and even through that hour the crew members provided all the assistance that was required,” Naidu added.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has begun its investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
“The plane, the moment it landed, was taken to a separate hangar. The data recorder, the voice recorder, is in the possession of DGCA. They will thoroughly investigate how and why this incident happened. And only when we have the facts in front of us, will we be able to make it public,” the minister said.
