Turbulence on flight sends five to hospital, cracks plane ceiling

Five passengers on an American Airlines flight from Grenada to Miami were hospitalised when turbulence hit the aircraft.

Flight 982 landed without incident at Miami International Airport on Thursday and the passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

See also: FLIGHT TURBULENCE: WHAT IS IT AND IS IT GETTING WORSE?

According to ABC News, the airline said the seatbelt sign was on at the time and that pilots had no indication of severe turbulence in the area.

A spokesman added that the turbulence was not related to Hurricane Joaquin.

Images obtained by the Daily Mail showed the plane ceiling cracked after passengers were thrown against it.

Passenger Hayden Redhead told 7 News: "A gentleman sleeping a couple of rows was sleeping and he didn't have his seatbelt and his head actually damaged the aircraft, broke one of the panels on top."

He said his "heart was pumping" and "hands were shaking" thought the turbulence.

Earlier this year, two British flight attendants fractured bones during severe turbulence on a Thomson flight from Manchester toCyprus.

The plane came into difficulty as it neared the holiday destination and four crew members were injured, with some being thrown against the ceiling.

Two cabin crew members sustained fractures, with Mark Bailey, 60, suffering a broken pelvis, and his colleague, Jacqueline O'Shea, 50, suffering two spinal fractures.

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