Turbulence Injures Jet Passengers
Two dozen passengers were injured when an American Airlines jet hit strong turbulence on a Caribbean flight, officials said Thursday.
The flight Wednesday from Miami to San Juan encountered severe turbulence at 33,000 feet about 100 miles east of Nassau, Bahamas, the airline said. It lasted only a few minutes and the Airbus A300 jet continued to San Juan, where it landed without incident.
One passenger, Oscar Marrero Silva, 44, of Caracas, Venezuela, had no use of his legs and only partial use of his left arm following Wednesday’s incident, said Dr. Sylvia Barcelo, emergency room director at Centro Medico hospital in San Juan.
“He was thrown against the roof of the cabin; that’s how strong the turbulence was,” Barcelo said. “His prognosis right now is guarded.”
The other injured passengers were treated and released.
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