Delta flight 56 encountered severe turbulence on July 30, 2025
NEED TO KNOW
- Passengers claim Delta ignored weather warnings and flew into turbulence, causing severe injuries and cabin damage on a flight last year
- 20 passengers allege the flight crew delayed an emergency landing, prolonging passengers’ suffering and fear
- Plaintiffs are seeking damages, citing negligence and violations of international aviation safety standards
Nearly two dozen Delta Air Lines passengers are now suing the carrier claiming their pilots “recklessly flew” too close to thunderstorms on a flight last year. The incident allegedly left passengers to be “violently thrown about the cabin,” leading to serious injuries.
On July 30, 2025, Delta Air Lines flight 56 departed Salt Lake City for Amsterdam with 246 passengers on board. During the flight, the aircraft — an Airbus A330-941 — encountered the turbulence “while in cruise flight at an altitude of 37,000 ft near Creston, Wyoming,” a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report released in September stated. The plane was subsequently diverted to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.
Upon landing, 18 passengers were transported to local hospitals for assessment, the report states. Of the 10 cabin crew members, two sustained serious injuries and five sustained minor injuries.
The NTSB said in the report that flight crew had “discussed the conditions along the route” prior to departure, and some turbulence had been predicted. When the plane hit the “severe turbulence,” however, the seat belt sign had been turned off shortly before, and the cabin crew had begun service…