A flight attendant suffered a relapse during the third severe turbulence within a week

• A flight attendant suffered a broken back on a short domestic flight in Turkey after the plane encountered turbulence.
• This incident is the third case this week in which in-flight turbulence has resulted in injuries and even deaths.
• There is no connection between the three incidents, but the turbulence is increasing, as a 2023 study shows.

A Turkish Airlines flight attendant broke her back after the plane she was on encountered turbulence, local media reported.

The crew member was working on a short 50-minute domestic flight from Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, to Izmir in the west of the country.

Shortly after the pilot asked passengers to fasten their seat belts, the Airbus A321 suddenly plummeted in the air due to turbulence, reported Hurriyet, Turkey’s largest newspaper.

The woman, who had only been on the job for two months, was thrown toward the ceiling and then fell to the floor of the plane, Hurriyet added.

After landing, she was taken to a hospital in Izmir, where medical staff diagnosed a fractured vertebra.

The incident is the third case of turbulence injuring passengers that has been widely reported this week.

Over the weekend, 12 people were injured by turbulence on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin. The turbulence occurred as the plane flew over Turkey, Dublin Airport told Business Insider.

After landing, the flight was met by airport police and emergency services. Eight people were taken to hospital.

It is not clear whether the turbulence encountered by the Qatar plane was the same that affected the Turkish Airlines flight.

The weekend’s incidents followed one of the worst turbulence-related injuries in recent years.

One man died and more than 100 passengers were injured on board a Singapore Airlines flight last Tuesday after the plane plunged several hundred metres before stabilising in the air.

Pictures from the diverted flight shows debris scattered throughout the cabin and blood on the ceiling. 73-year-old Geoff Kitchen, who suffered from heart disease, died on board the flight.

Several passengers suffered traumatic injuries, including paralysis, skull and back injuries, and brain injuries. The Associated Press reported.

The airline said in a statement on Monday that 34 passengers on the flight were still in hospital.

Although the three dramatic turbulences occurred in quick succession, they do not appear to be related. Cases of serious injuries caused by turbulence remain rare. According to the FAA, about a dozen people are seriously injured by turbulence in the United States each year.

Turbulence, or sudden changes in air currents, is common at high altitudes but is likely to become more severe due to climate change.

In a 2023 study, researchers at the UK’s University of Reading found that in 1979, an average point over the Atlantic experienced about 17.7 hours of severe turbulence. By 2020, that number had risen to 27.4 hours – a 55% increase.

Some turbulence is easy to spot because it is associated with storms or thick clouds, but rising temperatures lead to more “clear air turbulence” that occurs suddenly and is harder to avoid.

Currently, the only way to detect it is if another flight hits it first and the others are warned.

According to a report in the FT, 15 airlines are working on a solution to better monitor turbulence in clear air.

Last week, pilot Emma Henderson told BI that although the Singapore Airlines flight was an extreme case, it is a good idea to always wear your seatbelt to protect against turbulence, even if the warning light is off.

Turkish Airlines did not immediately respond to BI’s request for comment.