20 passengers have filed lawsuits Delta Air Lines In Utah, the airline is accused of ignoring repeated weather warnings before a severe turbulence incident on Flight 56 Salt Lake City Went to Amsterdam last year.
The lawsuit alleges that the airline failed to divert the plane despite forecasts of dangerous convective weather and maintained seat belt signs while cabin service continued, resulting in serious injuries to passengers and crew.
Passengers claim Delta ignored multiple weather warnings
The complaint was filed Friday in Salt Lake County’s Third Judicial District Court, according to the aviation legal group. Delta Air Lines Flight 56 reportedly encountered extreme turbulence less than an hour after taking off from Salt Lake City on July 30, 2025.
The Airbus A330-900 then diverted to Minneapolis-St. Sao Paulo International Airport after the incident.
Plaintiffs allege that many suffered head injuries, broken bones, spinal trauma, concussions and lasting psychological distress. They are seeking damages under the Montreal Convention, which governs liability for injuries sustained on international flights.
The plaintiff further alleges that when the aircraft approached severe weather, the seat belt signs remained closed and beverage service continued. When turbulence hits, passengers, flight attendants, dining cars and luggage are thrown around the cabin.
The plane experienced a sharp altitude change and the autopilot disengaged before the pilot could regain control, the complaint said.
Attorney Casey DuBose of Aviation Law Group issued a detailed statement, saying, “Delta was warned. Delta had the tools. Delta had the ability to avoid this weather, but chose to ignore the warnings.”
The lawsuit alleges that Delta flight crews were given extensive weather information before the turbulence occurred. It cited National Weather Service forecasts, SIGMET warnings for embedded thunderstorms, forecast turbulence data, Delta’s in-house meteorologists and the electronic flight bag system available to pilots.
Court documents also claim that Salt Lake Center air traffic controllers warned crews about moderate to extreme convective activity about 20 minutes before the plane entered the storm. Air traffic control reportedly approved the route deviation without being asked, but Flight 56 allegedly continued to fly as planned.
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The lawsuit also questions the emergency response
The complaint alleges that Delta failed to declare an emergency after regaining control of the aircraft.
Even though the pilots knew someone on board was injured, they avoided the Denver airport and flew an extra 90 minutes to Minneapolis. This was done to save Delta the cost of necessary maintenance, flight rebooking and flight diversions, the lawsuit said.
Passengers claimed they received little information from the cockpit, while the injured remained inside the damaged cabin. The airline should have sought priority from air traffic control and landed earlier to ensure faster medical attention, the suit said.
Lawyers for the passengers claimed that more than 30 people were taken to hospital for treatment after the plane landed. According to their attorney, they are “still dealing with the physical and emotional consequences of the flight.”
