25 People Hospitalized After Delta Flight Experiences Severe Turbulence

Passengers said bodies, phones and bottles flew around the cabin during the ordeal.

July 31, 2025

A Delta Air Lines aircraft in flight against a clear blue sky.

Photo by Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

A terrifying incident happened in the skies, sending 25 people to the hospital after a Delta flight experienced severe turbulence.

The plane, carrying 13 crew members and 275 passengers, was traveling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam when the Airbus A330-900 hit bad weather. Things got so bad that the Delta flight was forced to divert to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, and landed around 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30.

According to The Associated Press, first responders met the plane as it hit the runway, and paramedics treated those injured in the turbulence.

A statement from the airline says 25 people were transported to local hospitals for care. Seven crew members were also treated for their injuries, but Delta says they were all released from the hospital hours after their admission.

It's unclear what the total severity of the injuries sustained by the other passengers, but the airline also claimed several of them had been released from the hospital ... though the exact number was not officially disclosed.

Passenger Leann Clement-Nash spoke with ABC News about the terrifying experience in the sky, saying, “They hit the ceiling, and then they fell to the ground.” She added, “And the carts also hit the ceiling and fell to the ground and people were injured. It happened several times, so it was really scary.”

Nash said bottles and cellphones were flying around the cabin during the ordeal, but gave some serious props to the crew, "But I will hand it to the flight attendants, they were incredibly calm, very well trained and very responsive."

Delta says the company is working with the National Transportation Safety Board on the investigation following the incident. The company added, “We are grateful for the support of all emergency responders involved.”

Just last month, five people were hospitalized after an American Airlines flight from Miami to Raleigh-Durham International Airport hit turbulence.

However, it was in 2024 when a man was killed on a Singapore Airlines flight, marking the first turbulence death on a major airline in decades.