On 23rd March 2023, ten people including cabin crew members were injured on board a TAAG Angola Airlines flight from Angola to Lisbon after it encountered severe turbulence en route. One of the flight attendants suffered a broken leg.
The Airbus A330-300 with registration 9H-HFA (chartered from Hi-Fly) was operating TAAG flight DT652 from Angola to Lisbon. While en route to Lisbon, the A330 experienced severe turbulence due to bad weather conditions.
Two cabin crew members were among the ten individuals injured. The situation onboard was reportedly chaotic, with objects flying around the cabin and food trays scattered throughout. The incident took place during meal service.
Footage shared on social media shows the extent of the turbulence’s damage, with food trays and debris scattered throughout the cabin, including a crack in the ceiling of the aircraft.
In response to the turbulence, the Angolan airline immediately called for an ambulance and medical services at Lisbon airport. One of the passengers who was injured received assistance from a doctor who happened to be onboard the plane.
However, despite objects flying around the cabin, no serious injuries were reported by INEM, the Portuguese emergency medical service.
In a statement, TAAG confirmed the occurrence and said that “it will continue to monitor these situations, and is internally collecting safety reports and contingency plans for flights conditioned due to the weather conditions indicated.”
Feature Image via Twitter