British Airways passengers suffer broken ankles during Heathrow flight turbulence

One injured flyer said they missed the seatbelt sign announcements due to being asleep

Two people on board a British Airways flight sustained broken ankles after their plane to London was hit by turbulence.

The incident occurred on 6 December 2024 on a flight from Los Angeles to Heathrow while flying near Greenland.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) released a report on the incident on 8 January 2026, detailing the impact turbulence had on the flight.

The report details that the crew received briefing documents before the flight which stated that there were no significant weather warnings to be aware of before takeoff.

However, the crew later observed on a live weather app on their electronic flight bags (a digital tablet similar to an iPad) that “potentially severe turbulence” was developing south of Greenland.

Before the plane approached this area, the captain switched on the seat belt sign and asked the cabin secure equipment and take their own seats.

Around 20 minutes after the seatbelt signs were switched on, an episode of turbulence lasting approximately 10 to 15 seconds occurred.

At this time, a member of cabin crew was lowering her crew seat to strap herself in when the turbulence raised her up and caused her to fall, breaking her ankle, the report said.

Meanwhile, a passenger had left his seat to use the toilet in the upper deck, as he said he was asleep when the seatbelt sign was turned on and did not notice it, nor did he hear any announcements.

While returning to his seat, he said the plane made a sudden movement upward and sideways, stating that the movement of the floor had broken his ankle.

Shortly after these injuries, a third passenger became unwell and lost consciousness.

Two other passengers who declared themselves as doctors helped the injured people using splints to support their ankles and gave them pain relief.

Cabin crew and one of the doctors assisted the unwell passenger, with crew also seeking advice from MedLink, an aviation medical advisory service.

After injuries, the captain considered diverting to Gander airport in Canada or Keflavik airport in Iceland, however, Gander’s weather was not suitable for landing, while Keflavik’s runway was covered in ice.

After discussions with MedLink, the doctors and crew, he decided to continue to fly to Heathrow, declaring a medical “PAN” signal before landing, allowing air traffic control to facilitate a direct route to Heathrow and call ambulances to meet the plane on arrival.

The three injured passengers were then taken to hospital.

In a statement to The Independent, British Airways said: “Safety is always our priority, and our highly-skilled pilots and cabin crew are trained to manage rare events such as this.

“The aircraft landed safely at London Heathrow, where our teams looked after both our colleague and the customer.”

Read more: British Airways cuts business class breakfast from eight routes