SALT LAKE CITY — A group of passengers are suing Delta Airlines, alleging pilots flew through weather they were warned was dangerous.
The July 30 Salt Lake City-to-Amsterdam flight injured 24 passengers and seven crew members, according to information released last year.
In a lawsuit filed Friday in state court in Salt Lake City, 20 of those passengers contended pilots were warned of “the potential for developing convective weather and thunderstorms.”
“No warning was given to the passengers about the forecast severe weather conditions,” the complaint also alleges, “and the seatbelt sign was not illuminated.”
“Plaintiffs’ injuries include,” the complaint continues, “but are not limited to, bruising, abrasions, whiplash, nausea, internal injuries, broken bones, physical pain, severe injury, severe stress, anxiety, trauma, flashbacks, phobia, fear of flying, and also objective physical manifestations of mental harm and emotional distress.”
A spokesperson for Delta on Friday sent FOX 13 News a statement.
"We’re unable to comment on active litigation involving a matter that is currently under [National Transportation Safety Board] investigation,” the statement said.
That NTSB report is expected later this year.
A preliminary NTSB report issued about six weeks after the episode said the flight crew had discussed possible weather conditions ahead of departing Salt Lake City International Airport. After a smooth departure, the crew noted their electronic weather forecasts predicted turbulence “in the green” and they “had observed only light cirrus clouds.”
Casey DuBose, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said his firm has been conducting its own investigation.
“The aircraft just continues straight on towards that area of known turbulence,” DuBose said in an interview Friday with FOX 13 News. “They tried to make a little bit of course change, but they had the authority to make a 90-degree change to get away from the weather, and they didn't do that.”
“We have some people with very extreme injuries,” DuBose added. “We have broken bones. We have people that have significant concussions to the head; people that got thrown against the ceiling.
“This turbulence was over a course of 2-1/2 minutes.”
The lawsuit describes six of the plaintiffs as being residents of Utah. Other plaintiffs are described as being from California, Idaho, Montana, South Carolina and one family from Norway.