A flight from Avianca covering the Medellín–New York route was diverted to Miami International Airport in the early hours of this Friday, after severe turbulence left nine people injured, eight of whom had to be transported by ambulance to hospitals in the area, according to local authorities.
The incident involved the Avianca flight AV042, which had taken off from José María Córdova Airport in Rionegro at approximately 8:40 PM on Thursday.
The aircraft landed safely in Miami around 3:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) after encountering what the airline described as "unexpected turbulence during the flight."
Nine affected, one with trauma alert
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue confirmed to Telemundo 51 that they responded to an incident involving "multiple patients injured due to turbulence," and that eight people were transported by ambulance.
One of them was taken to a trauma center with a severe injury alert.
Avianca informed CBS News Miami that the total number of those affected rose to nine: six passengers and three cabin crew members. The health status of the injured was not immediately specified.
Moments of terror on board
Passengers described scenes of panic during the episode. One of them told Telemundo 51: "We thought it was our last day. We thought we'd reached the end. It was very intense, a never-before-experienced situation."
The traveler indicated that at least three very intense tremors occurred, and she was greatly surprised upon landing to see the number of ambulances waiting on the runway.
Another passenger, Luz Marina Gómez, reported to the Colombian media Pulzo that the plane descended abruptly several times and that the episode lasted between 20 and 30 minutes.
María Paula Jiménez stated to CBS News Miami that upon landing, she observed an unusual scene: “When we arrived, when we landed, we saw that very close to where we were going to disembark there were more than five or six ambulances. Seven of them had their lights on as if they were waiting for something. It was not normal.”
A video recorded with a cellphone on board showed passengers with ice packs on their heads while they were instructed to keep their seatbelts fastened.
Avianca's response
In its official statement, the airline explained that the diversion was made "as a preventive measure and in accordance with the airline's safety protocols," and emphasized that "the aircraft landed safely."
Regarding the other passengers, Avianca stated that "the airport team has implemented the necessary measures to ensure the continuity of their itinerary to New York, providing assistance and support at all times." The flight resumed its route at approximately 8:15 a.m. that same Friday.
The FAA opens an investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed to CBS News Miami that it will investigate the incident.
According to a report by , there were weather conditions in the area at the time of the incident, although authorities had not confirmed whether the weather was the direct cause of the turbulence.
The incident occurs just a month after Miami International Airport was the scene of another tragedy: a cargo plane that veered off the runway during landing left five dead, all of whom were Cuban workers for a contracting company.
Globally, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that incidents of turbulence increased by more than 25% in 2025 compared to the previous year, and scientific studies warn that severe clear-air turbulence could triple by the 2050s due to climate change.
Related videos:
Filed under: