Avianca Flight 042 from Medellín to New York diverted to Miami International Airport early Friday after severe turbulence injured crew and passengers. Avianca said nine people were hurt — three crew members and six passengers — while Miami-Dade Fire Rescue put the number at eight, with one person needing trauma care. The FAA said it would investigate.
Avianca Flight 042, traveling from Medellín, Colombia, to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, diverted to Miami International Airport (MIA) early Friday, October 9, 2026, after the aircraft hit severe turbulence, according to CBS News Miami and NBC6 South Florida.
The plane landed safely in Miami at about 3:30 a.m. Friday, according to CBS News Miami and NBC6 South Florida.
How many people were hurt
Accounts of the injury total differ slightly by source. Avianca said nine people were hurt — three crew members and six passengers. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue reported eight people injured, with one requiring treatment at a trauma center, CBS News Miami said. ABC7 News, citing the same incident, reported eight passengers were taken to hospitals and that their conditions were not immediately known Friday morning.
Video shown by NBC6 showed passengers holding ice packs to their heads. Some injured passengers were seen leaving the aircraft on stretchers, including a flight attendant in uniform and a woman wearing a neck brace.
The safety of our customers and employees remains, and will continue to be, the fundamental pillar of our operation.
— Avianca, in a statement reported by NBC6
Avianca said the flight "encountered unexpected turbulence during the journey" and that the diversion to Miami was carried out "in accordance with the airline's safety protocols." The airline said it coordinated with its Miami airport team to help the remaining, uninjured passengers continue on to New York.
What is known and what is not
ABC7 News reported that weather was present in the area at the time of the incident but that officials had not said whether weather was the specific cause of the turbulence. The exact point in the flight at which the turbulence struck was also not specified.
CBS News Miami reported that the Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate the incident. The extent and nature of the passengers' and crew members' injuries had not been fully determined at the time of reporting.
Turbulence injuries in context
Turbulence is the leading cause of accidents among U.S. air carriers, according to National Transportation Safety Board data cited by the Flight Safety Foundation's Safety Compass blog: the NTSB found turbulence was involved in more than a third, or 38%, of Part 121 air carrier accidents between 2009 and 2018.
That same NTSB data shows flight crew bear the brunt of these incidents. Flight attendants accounted for 79% of people seriously injured in turbulence-related accidents, while passengers made up 21% of serious injuries — with nearly all of those passengers unbelted at the time. The NTSB has said wearing a seatbelt largely eliminates a seated passenger's risk of injury during turbulence.
Questions
How many people were injured on the Avianca flight?
Avianca said nine people were hurt — three crew members and six passengers. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue reported eight injured, with one needing trauma center care, and ABC7 News reported eight passengers hospitalized; the exact figure varies slightly by source.
Where was the flight going and where did it land?
Avianca Flight 042 was traveling from Medellín, Colombia, to New York's JFK International Airport but diverted and landed at Miami International Airport at about 3:30 a.m. on October 9, 2026.
What caused the turbulence?
Officials had not confirmed the specific cause as of Friday morning. ABC7 News reported weather was present in the area but that authorities had not said whether it caused the turbulence.
What happens to the rest of the passengers?
Avianca said it coordinated with its airport team in Miami to help uninjured, remaining passengers make arrangements to continue their journey to New York.
Is turbulence a common cause of flight injuries?
Yes. NTSB data cited by the Flight Safety Foundation shows turbulence was involved in 38% of U.S. Part 121 air carrier accidents between 2009 and 2018, and flight attendants accounted for 79% of serious injuries in those accidents.
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