A trio of flight attendants and a passenger were taken to a Salt Lake City hospital after a Southwest Airlines 737 experienced turbulence prior to landing.
Turbulence On Southwest Airlines Prompts Hospitalizations
Southwest Airlines Flight 1753 from Chicago Midway (MDW) to Salt Lake City (SLC) hit turbulence just prior to landing in Salt Lake City International Airport on Friday afternoon. Four onboard, including one passenger and three flight attendants, sustained injuries.
A Southwest spokesperson downplayed the incident:
“Southwest Flight 1753 on approach to Salt Lake City this Friday afternoon (after flying from Chicago Midway) experienced moderate turbulence. Fasten seat belt signage was illuminated when the aircraft encountered the turbulence. Our initial reports indicate that, following an uneventful landing of the aircraft, three Flight Attendants and One Customer were treated for minor injuries.”
But a spokesperson for Salt Lake City Airport noted that ambulances transported the four people to a local hospital, suggesting the the incident was no so minor, even if done out of an abundance of caution.
It is not clear if the injured passenger was seated without a seat belt when the turbulence occurred or out of their seat.
Reminder: Buckle Up When Seated
Sometimes turbulence is expected and passengers can be warned, but sometimes it suddenly rears its ugly head.
If you do not do so already, make it a habit no matter the flight, no matter what cabin you are flying in, to buckle up when seated. It’s a simple, generally unobtrusive way to avoid potential injury. Consider it complimentary insurance.
Even a loosely-bucked seat belt is better than noting at all.
CONCLUSION
I wish the victims a speed recovery and offer this as another lesson that buckling up when seated on an airplane is purely common sense. These incidents always remind us that we can take reasonable steps to minimize potential physical harm onboard.
image: redlegsfan21
We had some pretty rough winds down in the valleys just south of SLC yesterday around 5pm, sounds like they were even rougher a little higher.
“It’s a simple, generally unobtrusive way to avoid potential injury. Consider it complimentary insurance.”
Funny, the same could be said for masks.
Masking was not sold to the public as a way to protect the wearer from SARS-CoV-2 infection. The wearer is only protected if wearing a properly fitted N95 mask and this is not how the vast majority of folx masked up. The other kinds worn, ranging from surgical masks to neck gaiters, do not protect the wearer and might even make spread worse in the case of neck gaiters. There are no RCTs demonstrating the efficacy of masks against SARS-CoV-2. Anyone who is vaccinated but continues to wear a mask is really a crypto-anti-vaxxer.
As opposed to the every-day anti-science anti vaxxers (now bringing the Delta variant to a town near you!)
As usual, UA-TDS can’t respond to the substance of my comment. Does he even know what an RCT is? “Following the science” is akin to a religion that those of middling minds glom on to make themselves feel smarter and more virtuous.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/are-covid-vaccines-riskier-than-advertised-11624381749
Give a few billion shots, and there are likely to be a few AE issues…because *that’s science*.
Keep spitting into the wind about anti-racism somehow being worse than actual racism, or vaxxed people at-risk taking extra caution w/still wearing masks being worse the anti-science anti-vaxxers…enjoy your miserable life
It has been an awful summer for Turbulence so far. Last week we could not even let the flight attendant up for service on some of our short legs. I even had to do my first winder escape maneuver on approach to Gulfport.
Makes a very strong case for ending the practice of lap babies
Had my first abort and go round at SLC a few years back because of crosswinds. As we wee in a holding pattern afterwards awaiting the decision whether to try again or divert to Las Vegas, it was pretty impressive how many passengers got up to use the lav despite the flight deck’s orders for everyone to stay belted in because they might be making a quick decision to land at SLC if conditions improved. The FAs were getting pretty angry about it but were following the order to stay in their jump seats so there wasn’t much they could do about it.
How does someone contact the right ones to get answers for what Southwest Airlines is doing to people? They have known of issues for at least 2 weeks, when I booked a flight from Texas to Washington, I went to Southwest ticket counter near where I live and would’ve been flying out from, and was told Southwest wasn’t having any issues. Then the day I was supposed to fly out my flight was cancelled, but was rescheduled the next day for same flight times, next morning same thing, rescheduled or could take a much longer flight and 3 plane changes. I had to cancel because I wouldn’t have been able to make it for my family reunion. So I chose to cancel and got less than half of the price I was charged with a credit to fly within the next year which I doubt I will be able to do due to physical issues. HOW CAN THEY CONTINUE TO SELL TICKETS KNOWING THAT THEY CANNOT KEEP FLIGHT SCHEDULES? That’s just wrong, they lied to me 3 days in a row, that there were no delays or cancellations, for the week I had planned my trip, and then not refund full price. Who do I notify to get my money back?