On August 11, 2024, EVA Air flight BR238 encountered severe turbulence two hours after departure from Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport bound for Taipei, Taiwan.
The incident occurred during the in-flight meal service on board the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft (registration B-16711).
Six flight attendants suffered minor injuries, while no passengers were reportedly hurt. Formosa News reported that one passenger narrowly avoided hitting the ceiling thanks to the quick reaction of another passenger.
Passengers shared images of the aftermath on social media, showing food, drinks and trays scattered in the aisle, highlighting the intensity of the turbulence during the flight.
Despite the disruption in the air, the plane landed safely at Taoyuan International Airport, 50 kilometers west of Taipei, around seven hours after its departure from Jakarta.
Similar incidents
On August 4, 2024, Korean Air flight KE197 encountered severe turbulence approximately one hour after departure from Seoul Incheon International Airport to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The incident occurred near Tianjin Airport in China, lasted 15 seconds, and resulted in minor injuries to 14 passengers on board the Airbus A330-300.
The Korea JoongAng Daily reported that passengers screamed as lightning and thunder were heard on the plane. Korean Air confirmed to local media that 281 passengers were on board the plane during the incident.
This event follows a similar incident on June 30, 2024, when Air Europa flight UX45 from Madrid to Montevideo encountered severe turbulence. In that incident, up to 30 passengers were reportedly injured and the flight had to be diverted to Natal, Brazil.
Social media footage of the Air Europa flight showed significant damage caused by the turbulence, highlighting the potential severity of such events.
