Flight 1133 from Madrid to Buenos Aires in the night from Wednesday to Thursday turned into a real nightmare for passengers and crew members. According to the airline Aerolíneas Argentinas, the plane was just off Brazil when severe turbulence hit the machine. Twelve people were injured, three of them had to be treated in hospital after landing.

As "El País" writes, most passengers were asleep when the plane got into the turbulence. Those who were not wearing their seat belts were thrown against the ceiling. A woman told the Spanish newspaper that she broke her nasal septum. The airline stated that it had called on the 297 passengers to fasten their seat belts by means of an announcement and illuminated symbols. However, several passengers disputed this.

According to the "Augsburger Allgemeine", there were several doctors among the passengers who were able to treat the injured on the plane. The Argentine newspaper "La Nacíon" published photos of those affected with bandages on their heads and noses. According to "El País", nine people suffered minor bruises, and three others were taken to a clinic for treatment.

"Due to the collision of the heads of the passengers with the ceiling", the plane was damaged from the inside, the airline said. Images shared by passengers on social media bear witness to the devastation: fallen suitcases, trays and leftovers of drinks were scattered on the floor of the plane. Hand luggage had fallen out of the compartments.

Turbulence occurs when two air masses of different temperatures or different speeds collide. Aerolíneas Argentinas emphasized that the safety of the aircraft was never in jeopardy.

Exactly four years earlier, on October 19, 2018, a similar incident occurred on an Argentine airline plane, in which 15 people were injured. As "El País" reports, the crew served the passengers the snack, which then ended up scattered in the cabin.

Quellen: "Augsburger Allgemeine", "The Country", "The Nation"