Intense turbulence injures 9 on Ryanair flight
BERLIN (WJW) — Nine people were injured Wednesday when a Ryanair flight from Berlin to Milan encountered severe turbulence, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing in southern Germany.
The flight, with 179 passengers and six crew members on board, encountered the intense turbulence around 8:30 p.m., forcing the pilot to make the unscheduled landing at Memmingen Airport in Bavaria.
Ryanair confirmed that eight passengers and one crew member were injured during the flight. Three people were taken to the hospital after the plane landed.
One passenger told the German news outlet Bild that the turbulence was so violent, “I thought the plane was going to break apart or roll over.”
Following the emergency landing, passengers were not provided with flight to continue to Milan, but rather taken by bus to their destination.
Aviation authorities are investigating the incident.
Elsewhere in the region, storms damaged several homes in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, according to the German news agency dpa.
In the Donaustetten district, strong winds tore roofs off multiple row houses, rendering them uninhabitable, though no injuries were reported. Fire officials suspect a small tornado or waterspout caused the damage. The German Weather Service (DWD) is investigating, according to dpa.
Storm-related emergency calls also came from other areas in southern Germany, where damage was mostly limited to fallen trees and flooded basements.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.