A United Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Newark was forced to divert and make an emergency landing in New York on Friday after encountering severe turbulence that injured several passengers.
United Flight 85, which had been over 10 hours into its journey from Israel to New Jersey, landed at New York’s Stewart International Airport around 6:45 p.m. local time on Friday after the crew reported a medical emergency on board, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
While United did not confirm exact numbers, multiple reports indicate between 7 to 22 people on board required medical attention after the Boeing 787 experienced high winds and turbulence severe enough to cause injuries.
“One passenger deplaned due to a medical incident, and a few other customers were seen by medical personnel for possible motion sickness,” United Airlines told USA TODAY in a statement.
New Windsor EMS Chief Michael Bigg told several outlets that seven passengers were transported to local hospitals from the flight, which had 319 people on board in total.
“We evaluated about 30 people, and we transported 7 to the local hospital just for observation, no serious injuries or ailments,” Bigg stated. “Most people just wanted to get checked out at the local emergency room.”
The plane was ultimately able to refuel at Stewart and continue on to its intended destination of Newark Liberty International Airport after the emergency landing.
The FAA has opened an investigation into the incident involving the severe turbulence, which comes amid a series of recent safety issues and increased oversight for the airline.
Just last week, a United flight headed to Paris from San Francisco was diverted after an engine issue, while a flight returning from Mexico City also experienced hydraulics problems.
United Airlines has said safety is its “highest priority” amid the spate of incidents, though the severe turbulence encounter is likely to renew concerns about the airline’s operations and procedures.
Encounters with turbulence are a known risk of air travel, but incidents causing injuries to passengers remain relatively rare. The FAA probe will try to determine any potential factors that may have contributed to or exacerbated the turbulence on this United flight.
