TWO people have been injured when their flight plummeted mid-air, forcing passengers out of their seats and into the ceiling.
The incident took place on a United Express flight by SkyWest en route to Houston, Texas, from Aspen, Colorado, on Thursday.
KHOU 11/Gretchen GilliamTwo passengers were taken to hospital after their plane plummeted over 4,000ft in seconds[/caption]
KHOU 11/Gretchen GilliamFootage from inside the cabin showed oxygen masks hanging in front of stunned passengers[/caption]
KHOU 11Gretchen Gilliam was onboard the flight and said that the man in front of her was thrown out of his seat ‘like a rag doll’[/caption]
Instead, flight 5971 was diverted to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, where the pilot logged an emergency call for medical assistance, warning ground crew of bleeding passengers.
Flight data showed that about 90 minutes after departing Aspen the aircraft plunged almost 4,000 feet in under a minute and continued to fall by over 25,000 feet for a further 6 minutes.
“All of a sudden it came out of nowhere, the biggest turbulence I’ve ever seen,” passenger Gretchen Gilliam told KHOU 11.
“Someone in front of me flew up and hit the ceiling three times and it was a grown man,” she recalled.
“He flew up like a rag doll,” she added when speaking with ABC News affiliate WLS-TV.
He is one of the two injured passengers who was hospitalized after the flight – the other was Gretchen’s friend who was in the bathroom when the plane dropped.
“She’s gonna be okay,” she told the news outlet.
“That’s a story that she will have to tell everyone but that was heartbreaking but she’s gonna be okay,” Gretchen tearfully added.
Footage she filmed from inside the cabin showed oxygen masks hanging in front of passengers as well as drinks spilled on the ceiling and belongings strewn across the floor.
As the plane approached Austin, the pilot made a call for medical assistance telling ground crew “we’re going to need a stretcher.”
“I know that there is bleeding as well,” she added in the recording obtained by LiveATC.net.
The pilot was then reassured by air traffic control that emergency services would be on scene when the aircraft landed.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the “aircraft experienced a pressurization issue and severe turbulence”.
It noted and that the highest injury was recorded as “serious”.
Officials have since said that the two injured passengers were sent to nearby hospitals and that their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
“The flight landed safely and was met with medical personnel upon arrival,” a SkyWest official confirmed.
“Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of all onboard, and we are working with our partner United to assist customers.”
A total of 39 passengers and four crew members were assessed for injuries by Austin-Travis County EMS, an airport spokesperson told PEOPLE.
“Two adult patients were transported to area hospitals out of an abundance of caution.
“ATCEMS reported to the airport that no injuries are expected to be life-threatening.”
WikipediaThe flight that was bound for Houston, Texas, was diverted to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport where emergency crews were waiting (stock)[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
