12 people injured, 8 hospitalized after Qatar Airways flight hits severe turbulence
At least a dozen people traveling to Ireland Sunday were injured after a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin hit turbulence.
Flight QR017 landed at Dublin Airport around 1:00 p.m. local time and reported to the airport that six passengers and six crew members suffered injuries after the flight was shaken by turbulence over Turkey, according to a statement from the airport posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
All passengers were assessed for injuries prior to leaving the aircraft and eight passengers were taken to the hospital, according to the airport.
Qatar Airways said in a statement to USA TODAY that the incident is subject to an internal investigation.
This is the second notable turbulence incident in a week after a Singapore Airlines flight that was set to travel from London to Singapore hit severe turbulence and was diverted to Thailand. One person died in the incident, and dozens were injured.
What causes turbulence?
There are different kinds of turbulence on an airplane, and they're caused by different factors:
Mountain wave turbulence, as the name suggests, happens when the wind hits a mountain and is forced upward off its blustery path. That's why it's common to hit some bumps when you're flying over the Rockies on a transcontinental flight across the U.S.
Convective turbulence is generally associated with storms and is caused by warm air rising.
Clear air turbulence can be caused by a number of potential sources and is generally harder to predict than the other two types. but it is also the most likely kind to affect aircraft. And because it's harder to predict, it can also be harder to avoid.
In the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration reported 163 passengers and crew were seriously injured by turbulence between 2009 and 2022.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Passengers and crew injured after Qatar Airways flight hits turbulence
