When it comes to flying, even being hundreds of miles in the sky can lead to some dangerous situations. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed two passengers on a SkyWest Flight were seriously injured after experiencing “severe turbulence” on August 28.
SkyWest flight 5971 was en route from Aspen, Colorado, to Houston, Texas, on Thursday evening, August 28. The flight that held 39 passengers and four crew members was forced to reroute to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport due to turbulence, where it made a safe landing at around 8 p.m. local time.
According to the report, 90 minutes into the journey, the aircraft suddenly dropped 4,000 feet within less than a minute. Over the next few minutes, the aircraft continued to lose altitude and rapidly descended more than 25,000 feet before it altered its course to Austin.
While the plane made its approach to land, the pilot informed traffic control of the situation and that some passengers may be injured.
“We will need a stretcher,” she says in an audio recording obtained by LiveATC.net. “I know that there is bleeding as well.”
After meeting with emergency services upon landing, the 39 passengers and four crew members were given medical evaluations. An airport spokesperson told CNN, “Two adult patients were transported to area hospitals out of an abundance of caution.”
“Medical authorities reported to the airport that no injuries are expected to be life-threatening,” the statement added.
“Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of all onboard and we are working with our partner United to assist customers,” commented SkyWest.
In July, a Delta Airlines flight also experienced “significant turbulence” that led to 25 passengers being hospitalized. Delta flight DL56 was en route to Amsterdam from Salt Lake City when id diverted to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP).
