A German man has suffered a broken leg on board a flight from Denpasar to Auckland this week after a shocking bout of turbulence. Fair warning, if you’re not a fan of flying, don’t continue reading this article. If you’re an odd unit who enjoys reading about cooked injuries, you’re in the right place. You freak.
The incident in question occurred approximately half an hour into the seven-hour journey from Bali, where the man and his wife had been living for the past 13 years.
After the seatbelt light was switched off, the man made a B-Line to the dunny. En route back to his seat, the plane ran into some turbulence and reportedly “dropped” according to the NZ Herald.
“His leg pretty much snapped in half,” the man’s friend told the publication.
“There was a doctor on board the flight but only Panadol was available to be administered,” they continued.
“Crew asked some passengers to move from their seats so he was able to lie down for the remainder.”
The man was then forced to endure the rest of the seven-hour journey with a broken leg, before a team of medical professionals were able to treat him upon touchdown in New Zealand.
In response to the incident, Air New Zealand’s Chief Flight Operations & Safety Officer, Captain David Morgan, asserted that “The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our number one priority.
“Our crew are trained to respond to medical emergencies and always prioritise the wellbeing of the customers on board the aircraft.”
On the question of whether it would have been worth re-routing the plane, Morgan stressed that, “[The crew] will consider factors like the level of medical care likely available to the individual in the possible diversion locations and whether it is in the individual’s best interest to continue to the intended destination”.
The news comes just over a month after a Latam Airlines flight experienced a sudden drop in altitude on a service from Sydney to Auckland. The drop caused so much turbulence it left 50 people injured.