Seven individuals were transported to the hospital after experiencing severe turbulence aboard a United Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Newark, New Jersey earlier this week.
The incident occurred as United Airlines Flight 85 landed at Stewart International Airport (SWF) in Orange County, New York, due to high winds at Newark.
A United Airlines spokesperson stated that one passenger disembarked due to a medical incident, while a few others were attended to by medical staff for possible motion sickness. The flight refueled at Stewart International Airport before continuing its journey to Newark.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Boeing 787 aircraft landed around 6:45 p.m. local time after reports of a medical emergency involving one passenger.
Michael Bigg, Chief of New Windsor EMS, reported that seven individuals were taken to the hospital following the flight crew’s indication of severe turbulence during landing. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries reported among the 319 passengers on board.
Bigg explained that upon arrival, the flight crew informed EMS personnel about multiple passengers experiencing symptoms such as nausea and chest pain due to the turbulence. Although approximately 30 individuals were evaluated, only seven were transported to the hospital for observation.
The FAA will conduct an investigation into the incident.
United Airlines’ vice president of corporate safety, Sasha Johnson, mentioned that the FAA would increase oversight of the airline, following recent incidents involving flights landing with missing panels and hydraulics issues.
Johnson expressed the company’s willingness to cooperate with the FAA’s review process to ensure safety protocols are upheld.
New Windsor EMS did not provide immediate comment on the matter.
These developments come amidst reports of recent flight incidents, including one where a flight landed safely despite a missing panel, a hydraulics issue on another flight, and a bird strike causing a flight to return to its departure point.
Johnson assured employees that United Airlines welcomes the FAA’s engagement and is open to feedback to enhance safety measures within its operations.
