Six people suffered serious injuries after their Air Canada flight from Victoria to Toronto encountered turbulence and was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Calgary Thursday morning.
They are in stable condition but have potentially debilitating neck and spinal injuries, said Calgary EMS spokesman Stuart Brideaux. The patients have been taken to three city hospitals.
Brideaux said three others were assessed at the scene with minor injuries. Earlier reports said 14 people were taken to hospital.
Flight 190 was en route to Toronto when it was diverted and landed safely in Calgary at 8:30 a.m. MT. An online flight path indicated that the plane appeared to change course south of Grand Forks, B.C.
Passengers reported a sudden jolt in the air that lasted about 15 seconds.
"It happened really fast. One side of the plane went up sort of sideways and then came back down," one passenger told CBC News.
She said she saw her friend, who was among those taken to the hospital, "fly up" and hit the ceiling.
Crews responded with 19 ambulances after receiving reports of multiple injuries on board the Airbus A319.
Air Canada has not confirmed the cause for the flight's diversion. Spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline will be doing a full investigation involving the Transportation Safety Board, which is standard procedure.
"There are a lot of factors when an aircraft is in the air flying," he said, adding he could not speculate on what happened.
Air Canada's preliminary passenger list indicates the plane was carrying 83 passengers and five crew members.
The airline also said relatives of those on board who are seeking more information about the flight can get it by calling toll free at 1-800-961-7099.
Bryce Paton, spokesman for the Calgary Airport Authority, said air traffic control gave priority to the plane's landing but it did not disrupt regular operations at the airport.
They are in stable condition but have potentially debilitating neck and spinal injuries, said Calgary EMS spokesman Stuart Brideaux. The patients have been taken to three city hospitals.
Brideaux said three others were assessed at the scene with minor injuries. Earlier reports said 14 people were taken to hospital.
Flight 190 was en route to Toronto when it was diverted and landed safely in Calgary at 8:30 a.m. MT. An online flight path indicated that the plane appeared to change course south of Grand Forks, B.C.
Passengers reported a sudden jolt in the air that lasted about 15 seconds.
"It happened really fast. One side of the plane went up sort of sideways and then came back down," one passenger told CBC News.
She said she saw her friend, who was among those taken to the hospital, "fly up" and hit the ceiling.
Crews responded with 19 ambulances after receiving reports of multiple injuries on board the Airbus A319.
Air Canada has not confirmed the cause for the flight's diversion. Spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline will be doing a full investigation involving the Transportation Safety Board, which is standard procedure.
"There are a lot of factors when an aircraft is in the air flying," he said, adding he could not speculate on what happened.
Air Canada's preliminary passenger list indicates the plane was carrying 83 passengers and five crew members.
The airline also said relatives of those on board who are seeking more information about the flight can get it by calling toll free at 1-800-961-7099.
Bryce Paton, spokesman for the Calgary Airport Authority, said air traffic control gave priority to the plane's landing but it did not disrupt regular operations at the airport.
Looks like it was the "Kid's Horizons" c/s on the AC A319. Pretty scarry. I never knew turbulence can be that strong ! Another reasong why I always fly with my seatbelts on for the whole time.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/sto...s-landing.html
Comment