World · North America · 2 days ago
Turbulence injures passengers and crew on Avianca flight diverted to Miami
An Avianca flight travelling from Medellín, Colombia, to New York was diverted to Miami early Friday after encountering severe turbulence.
The Airbus A320 landed safely at Miami International Airport.
Fire rescue officials said eight people were taken to hospitals, including one person with severe injuries.
Avianca said three crew members and six passengers were affected, a total of nine people.
The plane’s remaining passengers were arranged to continue their journey to New York.
The FAA said it would investigate what happened.
The FAA recommends that passengers keep their seat belts fastened whenever possible because turbulence can occur unexpectedly.
An Avianca flight travelling from Medellín, Colombia, to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport diverted to Miami after encountering unexpected turbulence early on Friday, October 9.
Eight people were taken to hospitals; Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said one went to a trauma centre and seven others were transported by private ambulances.
Avianca said three crew members and six passengers were affected, but did not specify who was hospitalized.
Reports differ on the landing time: Miami airport officials and Il Fatto Quotidiano gave approximately 3:30 a.m., while the Daily Mail reported approximately 3:10 a.m.
The Daily Mail, citing FlightRadar24 tracking data, reported that the aircraft dropped 25,000 feet after flying at about 35,000 feet; this detail was not included in the other articles.
Avianca arranged onward travel to New York for the remaining passengers, and the FAA told the Daily Mail it would investigate.
- Who
- Passengers and crew aboard Avianca Flight 042 (also identified as Flight 42).
- What
- Turbulence forced the flight to divert to Miami; eight people were hospitalized.
- When
- Early Friday, October 9, 2026.
- Where
- The flight was travelling from Medellín, Colombia, to New York and diverted to Miami International Airport.
- Why
- Unexpected turbulence.
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- Flight
- Avianca Flight 042, also reported as Flight 42
- Route
- Medellín, Colombia, to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport
- Diversion airport
- Miami International Airport
- People hospitalized
- Eight
- People affected
- Avianca reported three crew members and six passengers
- Reported altitude drop
- 25,000 feet, according to Daily Mail reporting based on FlightRadar24 data
Sources
Severe turbulence injures at least eight on flight and forces emergency landing in Miami
NYC-bound plane forced to make emergency landing at Miami Airport after turbulence so severe eight passengers were injured
At least 8 people hurt by severe turbulence on Avianca flight
Turbolenza su un volo Medellín-New York, l’aereo perde 7mila metri di quota in pochi secondi e attua l’atterraggio d’emergenza: otto feriti in ospedale
8 people hospitalized after turbulence forces Medellin-New York flight to divert to Miami
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