Air New Zealand passenger left with broken leg for more than 6 hours after severe turbulence
- The man was returning to his seat from the toilet when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner experienced turbulence
- The crew asked some passengers on the Indonesia-Auckland flight to move their seats so he could lie down for the remainder of the trip
A 47-year-old man had to endure six-and-a-half hours in the air with a broken leg after severe turbulence on a flight, The New Zealand Herald reported.
Niko, a German who’s been living in Bali for 13 years, was flying with Air New Zealand from Indonesia to Auckland on Tuesday. The newspaper reported he and his partner, Sasha, were heading on holiday for around three weeks.
On board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Niko visited the bathroom 30 minutes into the flight – but the jet encountered turbulence on his way back to his seat, per the Herald, breaking his leg in the process.
A friend who picked Niko up from Auckland Airport told the Herald: “His leg pretty much snapped in half.” He added that Niko suffered a fractured tibia and fibula.
There was a doctor on board the flight, but only paracetamol was available to try and ease Niko’s pain, the Herald reported. That meant he was left suffering for the rest of the seven-hour flight.
“Crew asked some passengers to move from their seats so he was able to lie down for the remainder,” the friend added.