Multiple Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Hits A Delta Airlines Plane into Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew sustained injuries following a Delta aircraft originating in LA to Sydney encountered turbulence Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it made its approach and landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier told. Four flight attendants required medical attention.

Local paramedics stated they assessed five patients, and took three of them to the hospital with minor injuries that included back pain and headaches. Those affected were between their 30s to 70s.

It is the latest incident of aircraft encountering severe turbulence, with aviation specialists saying that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the official noted, adding that the plane touched down "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on the day in question.

Emergency responders indicated they got a call just only 180 seconds before the plane arrived, and response teams were ready and waiting at the airport.

The reasons turbulence is getting increasingly prevalent - and more severe.

During the past year, 25 people were hurt when another Delta jet, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "significant" turbulence just a couple of hours into the long-haul flight, and was forced to make an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines flight experienced a frightening short but intense of severe turbulence. One passenger passed away and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and fell back down.

In-flight turbulence is not uncommon while flying, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence each year, out of a overall number of more than 35 million aircraft departures that are conducted globally.

Intense turbulence is defined as when the vertical motions of a aircraft experiencing disturbed air exert in excess of a significant G-force on your body - a strong enough force to lift you out of your seat if you did not have on a safety belt.

As global warming modifies weather patterns, specialists caution that commercial aviation could become less smooth: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are expected to increase the occurrence and strength of severe turbulence.