17 Injured After Air India Jet Hits Violent Turbulence

Seventeen people suffered injuries after an Air India jet encountered violent turbulence that hurled passengers into the ceiling and down the aisle during a sudden drop in altitude. The flight was heading from Phuket, Thailand, to New Delhi on Tuesday, August 4, when the airline reported a "sudden loss of altitude" while cruising at standard speed. Despite the chaos, the aircraft kept flying normally before landing safely in Delhi, according to an Air India spokesperson who posted a statement on X.

The plane carried one hundred and thirty-seven passengers plus eight crew members during this Tuesday journey. Thirteen travelers and four staff members were injured and rushed to hospitals for medical evaluation, the carrier confirmed. Five of those injured were discharged by Monday evening, while the others continued receiving treatment at local facilities.

"Air India's foremost priority remains the safety and well-being of its passengers and crew," the airline stated in its official release. "We will continue to support those affected and their families and will work closely with the relevant authorities throughout the course of the investigation." The Times of India reported that the aircraft briefly lost about three hundred feet in altitude during the turbulent episode. Fox News Digital asked Air India for further comment on the incident.

"It's very unusual but not rare to have serious turbulence incidents," Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog "View From the Wing," told Fox News Digital. He noted that injuries from such events happen in roughly one out of every 1.2 million departures. Leff advised travelers to always wear their seatbelts while seated.

"Four of the six flight attendants on board this flight were hurt," Leff added, explaining why staff are often less safe during sudden bumps. "They're up in the aisles, they're working, they don't have the opportunity most of the time to stay belted. It is more dangerous." The force of the turbulence left visible damage throughout the cabin. Overhead compartments were ripped open, with lids torn off and strewn across the floor along with the belongings of those onboard, according to news agency Viral Press.

In the aftermath of the chaos, a flight attendant on board can be heard saying in a video taken inside the plane: "Don't panic. Don't panic. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down." She continued, "Everybody, please fasten your seatbelt. This is an emergency, please fasten your seatbelt. Nobody should get up. Fasten your seatbelt. … Go back to your seat. Please sit down. Sit down. Go back to your seat. Please sit down. Sit down," she reiterated over and over. Passengers on the flight later described terrifying moments inside the cabin as people were thrown from their seats and into the ceiling.

"It was a traumatic experience. My father was sitting next to me, and when this happened, his head touched the ceiling," Palak Raniwala, the daughter of one of the injured passengers, told news agency ANI. "It was a terrifying experience for all of us." Raniwala said the turbulence was unlike anything her family had experienced before and recalled hearing panic in the voices of the crew.

"The flight attendants were panicking, and the pilot himself seemed rattled, you could hear the nervousness in his voice," she told ANI. "The whole situation left us terrified." Another passenger, identified as Viviana, told the outlet that the flight appeared to be operating normally before the turbulence suddenly struck.

"We thought we would die. It was really scary," Viviana said. "The aircraft seemed to be moving normally, but suddenly the turbulence began," she told ANI. This event highlights how quickly weather conditions can turn deadly mid-flight and why seatbelt rules matter so much for everyone on board.

A woman described the terrifying moment she felt her sister launch from her seat into the air while her mother suffered a blow to the head. She admitted that they believed they were going to die and confessed she was shaking and crying in sheer fear. Leff noted that the people usually hurt are those tossed around the cabin with force. Even a loosely fitted seatbelt offers protection during such events, he said. Flying remains far safer than driving, according to him. If you drive, do not worry about flying.