Turbulence injures plane passengers as captain refuses emergency landing
PA
An investigation is under way after several passengers and crew of an Air India plane were injured by flight turbulence - after the captain declined pleas for an emergency landing at a nearby airport.
According to News Track India, turbulence hit the aircraft about 90 minutes after the flight took off from New Delhi headed for Shanghai at around 11.45am on 5 July.
It was carrying 55 passengers and at least six crew members.
The turbulence rocked the aircraft for nearly an hour, causing oxygen masks to fall out, armrests to break and passengers being flung to the floor, and overhead bins opening with luggage spilling out.
Despite pleas from bleeding passengers for an emergency landing, Captain S P Suri did not choose to divert the flight to a nearby airport for an emergency landing.
At least 15 passengers were injured, along with an air hostess from Mumbai and another crew member.
India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, has ordered an investigation.
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