A United Airlines On Monday, the flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston was rocked by unexpected turbulence which left at least five injured, according to John Diaz of KHOU 11.
United Flight 128 was en route to Houston on Monday morning when it encountered enough turbulence to injure at least two passengers and three crew members. Ambulances were waiting on the runway for the plane to arrive and five people were taken to hospital, according to Diaz.
United officials did not immediately return a request for comment on Monday morning, but issued a statement to Diaz confirming the incident and saying those injured in the flight are expected to make a full recovery.
“United Flight 128 encountered unexpected turbulence en route to Houston,” the airline said in a statement, according to Diaz. “Upon arrival, two passengers and three crew members were met by medical personnel and taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. We are grateful to our crew for their efforts to keep our employees and customers safe. “
The plane reported turbulence while flying in the vicinity of Cancun, Mexico, according to Diaz. The FAA is investigating the incident and will file a report on the event later this week. The turbulent affair quickly follows another event in the sky experienced by passengers on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu on Sunday.
Thirty-six passengers aboard the plane were injured and 20 people were rushed to the emergency room after Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35 experienced severe turbulence before landing on Sunday. Eleven people were reported in serious condition after the incident, which happened just after 11 a.m. local time on Sunday, according to CNN’s Paul Muntean and Chris Boyette. Among the injured was a 14-month-old child, CNN reports. Footage recorded from inside the plane showed cracks in the cabin ceiling panels and missing ceiling lights that had been rattled by the plane’s sudden nose dive. A passenger told CNN that her mother, who was unbuckled at the time of the turbulence, flew up and hit the ceiling when the turbulence began.
“It was like a free fall,” Jacie Hayata-Ano told CNN. “I started looking around and there were like lights, people were hanging on to the lights because they were falling on their knees.”
The airline is conducting a “thorough inspection of the aircraft”, according to CNN.
Comments are closed.