Air New Zealand flight struck by turbulence, caused air crew member to hit ceiling

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Air New Zealand flight struck by severe turbulence on 16 June

An Air New Zealand (Air NZ) domestic flight was recently struck by severe turbulence en route from Wellington to Queenstown.

The turbulence led to a “massive” jolt, which caused a passenger to be scalded by hot coffee. Another crew member also hit the ceiling due to the unexpected jerk.

The pair sustained “moderate” injuries and were conveyed to the hospital after the aircraft landed at its destination.

2 injured from Air New Zealand flight hit by turbulence

The passenger and crew member were injured after NZ607, an Air NZ domestic flight was struck by turbulence on Sunday (16 June) afternoon.

Source: newzealand.com. For illustration purposes only.

Suze, the injured passenger, described the turbulence as “rough” and said it led to a smaller jolt followed by a “massive” one.

Speaking to RNZ, Suze said the flight attendants were serving beverages when the turbulence struck.

As the trolley jostled along the aisle, the pot lids came off, spilling hot coffee onto her.

She attempted to shield herself with her arms but ended up sustaining more burns to her abdomen and back.

Fortunately, a paramedic sitting behind rendered assistance for the rest of the flight.

Even though her burns were not too serious, Suze thought that the pot lids came off too easily and that the airline should improve the lids for safety reasons.

Another passenger told Crux that one of the cabin crew members, who was standing when the turbulence hit, ended up hitting the ceiling.

Source: Suhyeon Choi on Unsplash. For illustration purposes only.

Ambulances were on standby as the aircraft landed at Queenstown Airport.

The injured passenger and cabin crew member sustained “moderate” injuries and were later conveyed to a nearby hospital.

Air NZ’s Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer Captain David Morgan said the company is reviewing its operating procedures to ensure the safety of its customers and crew members.

Also read: 12 people injured after Qatar Airways flight hit by turbulence, lands safely as scheduled