The laws of physics would seemingly dictate it’s nearly impossible to flip one of those beverage carts, which can top 300 pounds when fully loaded.
But that’s exactly what happened when a Compass Airlines flight, operating as a Delta Air Lines DAL, -0.46% connection, from Southern California to Seattle got tossed around in a nasty winter storm and was forced to make an emergency landing at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport.
Here’s what the aftermath looked like:
Crazy turbulence and injuries, but the @delta crew handled it perfectly, even the emergency landing. pic.twitter.com/NoJWLp5GUv
— joe justice (@JoeJustice0) February 13, 2019
Five people on board reportedly suffered minor injuries, though three were taken to a local hospital.
Erin Kayser described the scene to NBC News.
“I was sitting toward the back of the plane, so I saw the drink cart hit the ceiling, along with the flight attendant who was doing the drink service,” she said. “That was amazing just to see all that happening, and then you could see the people who aren’t belted in. They’re hitting the ceiling, and they’re flying up out of their seats. So, always wear your seat belt, no matter what, because this was unexpected.”
A winter storm warning was issued by the National Weather Service through 11 p.m. Thursday for the Sierra Nevada, including Lake Tahoe, where forecasts are calling for as much as 5 feet of snow in the highest elevations. Winds apparently topped 130 miles an hour over night in some areas.
