Passengers hurt when plane hits turbulence
Air Canada flight safely makes emergency landing; 10 people injured
Passengers hurt after Air Canada plane turbulence
As many as 40 hurt on Air Canada flight: reports
Passengers hurt after Air Canada plane turbulence
CALGARY, Alberta - An Air Canada jetliner made an emergency landing in Calgary on Thursday after 10 people aboard were injured when the plane experienced turbulence during a cross-country flight, an airport and emergency officials said.
None of the injuries were life-threatening, said Bryce Paton of the Calgary Airport Authority.
Air Canada flight AC190, carrying 88 people, was en route from Victoria, British Columbia, to Toronto and was diverted to Calgary for the emergency landing, officials said.
"It landed safely at 8:30 a.m. with a request for medical units to meet the aircraft to injuries on board the aircraft," he said.
Ambulances surrounded the jet and paramedics and tended to the injured.
Stuart Brideaux of Calgary Emergency Medical Services said 10 people were taken to a hospital, including six who are in stable condition. Four others suffered minor injuries, he said.
Earlier, Brideaux said nine had minor injuries. He said he may have misspoke earlier and that the 10 injured have been confirmed by the hospital, ambulance service and airline.
Duncan Dee, an Air Canada vice president, said two crew and eight passengers were injured. He would not speculate on the cause.
Air Canada said the preliminary passenger list indicates the Airbus A319 was carrying 83 passengers and five crew members.
"All of a sudden there were three big drops," passenger Andrew Evans said. "One major drop and then two more that went `Oomph! Oomph!' And the plane rolled a bit after that.
"I was in the very, very front seat of the plane and was watching dishes fly through the air," Evans said. "There was a crash. The cart tipped over and there was a lot of squealing.
"It was over and done with in 10 or 15 seconds," said Evans, who was on his way to Washington, D.C.
Passenger Jayne Harvey said the plane dropped sharply, then rolled left and right as the pilots fought to bring it under control.
The pilots came on the intercom "and said they were flying manually and that the computer had been knocked out," she said.
Dee said he cannot speculate on what the pilot said.
One female passenger who was not identified told media at the airport that when the plane hit the turbulence, her friend "flew up and hit the ceiling and went back down."
