Avianca Flight AV42 Diverts to Miami After Severe Turbulence Injures Nine
An Avianca Airbus A320 made an emergency landing in Miami early on Friday after severe turbulence injured nine people, including three crew members.
By The Aviation Hub
4 min read
Avianca turbulence struck Flight AV42 in the early hours of Friday, 9 October 2026, injuring nine people and forcing the Airbus A320 to divert to Miami International Airport (MIA) instead of completing its journey to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Aviation A2Z reports that three of the nine injured were crew members.
The incident is one of the more serious turbulence events reported in recent months and adds to a growing body of cases in which in-flight encounters have sent passengers and crew to hospital.
What Happened on Flight AV42
According to Aviation A2Z, Flight AV42 departed Medellín, Colombia, at approximately 10:40 p.m. local time on Thursday, 8 October. The aircraft climbed to around 35,000 feet while flying north over Jamaica and Cuba.
Roughly two and a half hours into the flight, the aircraft encountered severe turbulence and began a rapid descent. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24, cited by Aviation A2Z, showed the aircraft lost approximately 25,000 feet in a matter of minutes.
The crew diverted to Miami International Airport, where the aircraft landed at approximately 3:30 a.m. local time on Friday.
How Many People Were Injured by Avianca Turbulence
The Guardian reports that Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said one person was rushed to a trauma centre with severe injuries, while seven others were taken to area hospitals by ambulance. Avianca subsequently confirmed to Aviation A2Z that nine people in total, including three crew members, were taken to a medical facility.
Avianca did not provide further detail on the severity of each person's injuries in its reported statement.
What Passengers Described at the Scene
Passenger Maria Paula Jimenez, speaking to CBS Miami and quoted by Aviation A2Z, said: "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."
She added that seven ambulances had their emergency lights on when the aircraft came to a stop.
Video footage seen by NBC6, also cited by Aviation A2Z, appeared to show passengers with ice packs on their heads while cabin crew instructed them to remain seated.
What Avianca Said
The Guardian reports that Avianca said the uninjured passengers were rebooked on other flights to continue their journey to New York. The airline issued the following statement: "The safety of our customers and employees is, and will remain, the foundation of our operations."
Aviation A2Z notes that the airline did not specify the aircraft or flight number used to transport the remaining passengers onward.
The FAA's Involvement and Standing Guidance
The Guardian reports that the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the Avianca flight was en route from Medellín to JFK when the Airbus A320 diverted to Miami. No further statement from the FAA was reported at the time of writing.
The FAA recommends that passengers keep their seatbelts fastened whenever they are seated, as protection against unexpected turbulence. Track Avianca's fleet and operations using our Airline Search tool.
Turbulence Injuries: A Broader Pattern
Serious injuries from in-flight turbulence remain relatively rare, but The Guardian notes that the International Air Transport Association said the number of turbulence incident reports it received surged more than 25 per cent last year. Scientists have linked the trend to changes in the jet stream associated with the climate crisis.
Last summer, 24 people were hospitalised after a Delta Air Lines flight encountered turbulence over Wyoming, as The Guardian reports. The National Transportation Safety Board said passengers and flight attendants were thrown into the ceiling with enough force to crack interior panels. The seatbelt sign was off and drinks were being served at the time.
The Avianca incident echoes other recent cases involving sudden altitude loss and passenger injuries. We previously covered the Air India flight AI2379 that suffered a significant altitude loss in August 2026, a case in which the initial turbulence account was subsequently withdrawn.
The Bottom Line
Nine people, including three Avianca crew members, were taken to hospital after Flight AV42 encountered severe turbulence and lost around 25,000 feet in minutes before landing safely in Miami. One person required a trauma centre.
The cause of the turbulence has not been identified in the available reports, and neither the airline nor investigators have indicated whether the aircraft sustained any damage. You can follow live emergency diversions and browse the incident archive at our Squawk 7700 hub.
We will update our coverage if Avianca or investigators release further information.
Continue to follow The Aviation Hub for more analysis and insight.
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