Delta Air Lines flight DL5763 from John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, California to Seattle, Washington had to make an emergency landing in Reno, Nevada after extreme turbulence injured five passengers.
Passengers on the jet say the flight was more like a rollercoaster ride during the afternoon of on Wednesday, February 13th. Some said the aircraft nosed dived twice during the ordeal that lasted several minutes. Images from inside the aircraft show drinks splashed up on the ceiling, panels dislodged and some oxygen masks dangling down. However, that was nothing compared to the mess on the floor with debris and personal belongings strewn throughout the cabin and drinks carts in the middle of the aisle.
The crew of the Embraer E175 aircraft being operated by Compass Airlines on behalf of Delta, reported hitting the extreme turbulence at around 34,000 feet and was carrying fifty-nine passengers and four crew.
Some passengers took to social media to record their terrifyingly bumpy ride, among them Joe Justice who told how the aircraft did ‘We did a nose dive, twice,’ and shared images of the aftermath via twitter. Dave Macias, another passenger stated on Instagram, ‘I’ve been on a lot of flights over the last year and a half and this was by far the wildest flight I’ve ever been on.’
The three injured passengers were taken by medical crews to a local Reno hospital for treatment and their conditions are not thought to be serious.
A spokesperson for the US Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that Flight 5763 from of John Wayne Airport in Orange County was diverted to Reno and landed without further incident at about 1300 local time after the crew reported the turbulence at about 34,000 feet.
“The aircraft landed safely and customers exited normally through the main cabin door. Delta is making resources available to take care of and support our customers. We apologise for this experience as we work to get customers to Seattle,” Compass Airlines said in a statement.