5 passengers hospitalized after United Express flight hits turbulence

SkyWest did not provide an update on the condition of the hospitalized passengers.

Severe turbulence is getting more frequent and severe as a result of climate change, and experts say the best way to stay safe while flying is to keep your seatbelt fastened, even when the seatbelt sign is off.

Turbulence can occur without warning, and airplane seatbelts are designed to keep you from bouncing around the cabin in rough air.

Turbulence is among the most common causes of injuries for airline passengers and crew, especially for those who elect not to wear their seatbelts or to get up when the seatbelt sign is on.”

The people who are not strapped in now also become projectiles themselves and can harm people when they come back down,” Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, previously told USA TODAY.

“I know plenty of flight attendants who have had career-ending injuries from turbulence.”