American Airlines Flight 1286 hit “unexpected” turbulence on its way to North Carolina from Miami International Airport on Sunday. The seatbelt sign was on, the airline said, yet passengers and flight attendants were injured during the turbulence. After the flight landed in North Carolina at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, two passengers and three flight attendants were sent to a nearby hospital for observation. The extent of their injuries has not been released. Injury by turbulence is not common. The Federal Aviation Administration reports that only 163 passengers and crew members were injured by turbulence in the U.S. between 2009 and 2022. However, severe turbulence still poses a danger. Just last year, injuries from severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight killed an elderly passenger and sent at least 85 people to the hospital, with 20 to the ICU. American Airlines published a statement thanking their “crew members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.” The FAA is reportedly considering conducting an investigation into the Sunday flight.
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