Reports: 45 Hurt, Three In Serious Condition

A Northwest Airlines 747-400 with 408 passengers and 14 crew onboard encountered turbulence while in the holding pattern to land at Tokyo's Narita International Airport Friday, injuring at least 45.

The International Herald-Tribune reports ambulances met the plane after landing, and at least three people were removed from the plane on stretchers or wheelchairs. Passengers who weren't injured recounted the chaotic scene.

"The person in front of me flew up to the ceiling. The person behind me collapsed and looked unconscious," said one woman to the Tokyo Broadcasting System. A male passenger added, "I was really scared. I thought I would die. The plane shook so much, and my whole body hovered up in the air. Inside the cabin, everybody was screaming loudly."

A Northwest spokesman confirmed "air turbulence" was likely to blame for the incident. "The turbulence occurred 25 to 30 minutes before landing, when the seat belt light was on," said Masashi Takahashi. "During the flight, we received a message from the pilot saying two or three people were injured. But (the pilot) probably assessed that an emergency landing was not necessary.

"It is possible that the people injured did not have their seatbelts on, otherwise all of the 422 (people aboard) would have been injured as well," the spokesman added.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: NWA2        Make/Model: B744      Description: 747-400 (AL-1)
  Date: 02/20/2009     Time: 1200

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION

DESCRIPTION
  40 SOUTH NARITA, JAPAN, NWA2 ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE AT 15000. 

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: UNKNOWN

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Business      Phase: Climb      Operation: Air Carrier

FMI: www.nwa.com, www.faa.gov