Avianca Dihantam Turbulensi Hebat, 23 Penumpangnya Luka Berat
`It was a Miracle We Survived`
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
FOTO-FOTO yang mengejutkan ini memperlihatkan parahnya luka yang diderita awak kabin yang harus menggunakan gips pada lehernya setelah pesawatnya diguncang hebat oleh turbulensi berat pada Sabtu.
Baju yang dikenakan salah seorang pramugari dipenuhi noda darah dan foto lain memperlihatkan luka besar menganga di dahinya, sebelum ditutup dengan plester.
Turbulensi keras menghantam pesawat Airbus dari maskapai Avianca, yang terbang dari terbang dari Lima di Peru menuju Buenos Aires di Argentina, pada ketinggian 41.000 dan akibatnya 23 penumpang dan awak kabin cedera. Seorang penumpang mengaku sebagai ´´keajaiban bahwa penumpang selamat´.
Foto dua pramugari, duduk di bangku deretan belakang, diunggah ke Twitter tak lama setelah pesawat mendarat.
Foto lain yang diunggah ke internet memperlihatkan para penumpang terluka berdiri dekat kursi mereka, masker oksigen bergelantungan tempat duduk mereka, masker oksigen tergantung sementara panel pada plafon terlihat retak dan penyok.
Foto lain yang diunggah menunjukkan makanan berserakan di lantai, bersama dengan kertas tisu berceceran darah.
Menurut Aviation Herald, penerbangan dilanjutkan ke Buenos Aires dan mendarat dengan selamat sekitar 80 menit kemudian, seperti dilansir MailOnline.
Meskipun panel pada plafon kabin rusak, pesawat kembali mengudara enam jam kemudian.
Menurut keterangan pers dari Avianca pesawat dihantam ´tiba-tiba dihantam turbulensi yang kuat ketika melintas di atas Gunung Andes pada pukul 01:11.
Saat melewati hamparan cuaca buruk, pesawat N279AV tiba-tiba tersentak dan mengejutkan para penumpang, termasuk awak pesawat yang dilaporkan tidak mengenakan sabuk pengaman saat dihantam turbulensi.
Meskipun laporan dari bandara membenarkan bahwa 23 orang mendapat perawatan medis, maskapai menyatakan dalam siaran persnya bahwa 12 penumpang cedera.
Menurut maskapai, delapan anggota awak dan empat penumpang terguncang hebat dan cedera ketika terjaditurbulensi.
Mengenai mereka yang terluka, Avianca berkomentar: "Sepuluh orang dirawat di rumah sakit untuk pemeriksaan intensif. Enam dari mereka telah diperbolehkan pulang dan dinyatakan sehat dan empat sisanya, semua awak kabin, menjalani perawatan intensif di rumah sakit.""
Seorang saksi mengingat bagaimana seorang penumpang terlempar dari kursinya dan kepalanya menghantam panel di atas kursi, dan mengakibatkan keretakan besar pada panel.
Salah satu penumpang, Alejandro Babato, mengatakan: "Tak seorang pun dari Avianca datang untuk menemui kami ketika kami tiba di Ezeiza untuk melihat bagaimana kami. Suatu keajaiban bahwa kami selamat. ´
Seorang juru bicara Avianca mengatakan: ´Kami menyatakan simpati pada kejadian tersebut dan akan tetap berhubungan untuk memantau kondisi penumpang yang cedera.
Insiden ini terjadi setelah pesawat yang membawa 378 penumpang dan awak dilanda turbulensi ekstrim pada perjalanan dari London ke Kuala Lumpur - mengakibatkan beberapa penumpang cedera.
Malaysia Airlines penerbangan MH1 mengalami ´turbulensi parah´ di Teluk Bengal pada Minggu, kata perusahaan penerbangan itu dalam sebuah pernyataan.
Tiga puluh satu penumpang dan awak kabin pesawat Etihad Airways dari Abu Dhabi mengalami cedera ketika pesawat mereka tiba-tiba dilanda turbulensi ketika bersiap untuk mendarat di Jakarta.
A SHOCKING image has emerged that shows how two cabin crew members were left in neck braces after a flight hit severe turbulence on Saturday.
One of the crew members has blood on her shirt and was pictured separately with a huge gash on her forehead, before plasters were applied.
The severe turbulence rocked the Avianca Airbus they were on, flying from Lima in Peru to Buenos Aires in Argentina, at around 41,000ft and left 23 passengers and cabin crew members injured. One flier claimed it was ´a miracle that passengers survived´.
The image of the two flight attendants, sitting at the back of the aircraft, was posted to Twitter shortly after the plane landed.
Other images of the aftermath uploaded to the internet show injured people standing by their seats, oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling and snapped and dented panels.
Another photograph that was shared shows food strewn over the floor, along with a bloodied tissue.
According to the Aviation Herald, the flight continued to Buenos Aires and landed safely about 80 minutes later.
Despite having damaged ceiling panels, the aircraft departed on a return flight six hours later.
According to a press release from Avianca the plane suffered ´from strong unexpected turbulence when passing over the Andes Mountain range around 1.11am´.
As it passed through a stretch of bad weather, the sudden jerks of the N279AV aircraft surprised those on board, including crew who were reportedly not wearing their safety belts at the time.
Although reports from the airport confirmed that 23 people received medical attention upon arrival, the airline detailed in its communication that 12 people were injured during the flight.
According to the airline, eight crew members and four passengers received knocks and injuries during the turbulence.
Concerning those injured, Avianca commented: ´Ten people were admitted to hospital for their respective checks. Six of them have already been released with the all clear and the four remaining, all crew members, continue to receive medical attention at the clinic.´
One witness recalled how a passenger was jerked upwards and slammed their head, breaking a piece of plastic in the plane.
One passenger, Alejandro Babato, said: ´Nobody from Avianca was there to meet us when we arrived in Ezeiza to see how we were. It was a miracle we survived.´
An Avianca spokesman said: ´We lament the incident and will remain in contact to monitor the state of those passengers affected.´
The incident follows a flight carrying 378 passengers and crew members encountering severe turbulence on a journey from London to Kuala Lumpur - leaving some of those on board injured.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH1 experienced ´a brief moment of severe turbulence´ over the Bay of Bengal on Sunday, the airline said in a statement.
Thirty-one passengers and a crew member aboard an Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi were injured when their plane suddenly hit turbulence as it prepared to land in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
