Passengers jostled by severe turbulence on trans-Atlantic flight

(CNN) — A Miami-bound Scandinavian Airlines flight was forced to return to Europe on Thursday after encountering severe turbulence over Greenland, according to the airline.

No severe injuries were reported among passengers or crew on flight SK957, the airline said in a statement to CNN Friday. There were 254 passengers onboard the plane, the statement said.

The plane was rerouted to Copenhagen Airport in Denmark where it will undergo an inspection, according to the airline.

“Following such turbulence, standard safety procedures require a thorough inspection of the aircraft,” the statement said.

“Since SAS do not have the necessary facilities and staff for this level of inspection in MIA, we decided to reroute the aircraft to Copenhagen (CPH), where both hangar space and qualified technicians were available,” the airline said.

Flying the plane to Miami would result in it being grounded “for an extended period, leading to multiple cancellations,” the statement added.

Social media images from the plane show items scattered on the plane’s floor because of the turbulence.

One passenger, Sammy Solstad, told CNN he feels lucky to be alive.

“Everyone on the plane was praying and asking to just land instead of flying over the open sea,” Solstad said Friday.

A woman who was seated near him did not have her seatbelt on when the turbulence started, according to Solstad.

“She flew up to the ceiling as you can see a little of in the video and then fell” to the floor, Solstad said.

Passengers were met by a “special assistance team” upon arrival in Copenhagen where they were “assisted with rebooking,” the statement said. Passengers were placed in a hotel overnight and have now been booked on other flights, according to the airline.

Turbulence is the leading cause of injuries to flight attendants and passengers in nonfatal accidents on commercial airlines, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, but incidents are still rare. From 2009 to 2023, 37 passengers and 146 crew members were seriously injured due to turbulence, data from the National Transportation Safety Board shows.

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