Turbulence injures 5 on United Airlines flight to New York
By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY
A United Airlines flight attendant remained in serious condition at a local hospital on Wednesday, a day after a one of the carrier's Boeing 737-700 jets made an emergency landing at Louisiana's Lake Charles Regional Airport.
Five people were treated for injuries after the New York LaGuardia-bound flight encountered severe turbulence shortly taking off from Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport on Tuesday evening.
Following the incident, Flight 1632 diverted to Lake Charles, where a United flight attendant – one of the injured – remained in serious condition at a local hospital as of Wednesday afternoon. Three of the five injured were flight attendants, according to KHOU 11 TV of Houston, which says some of the injured were taken off the plane on stretchers.
"We were about 30 minutes into the flight and the flight attendants were preparing to serve drinks," Jeff Hornback, a passenger sitting in first class on Flight 1632, says to TV station KPLC Channel 7 of Lake Charles. "Right about that time we hit some really severe turbulence and people who weren't buckled in or the flight attendants flew up and hit the ceiling of the plane and immediately were slammed down to the floor of the plane."
United spokeswoman Mary Ryan tells the Lake Charles American Press that none of the injuries were life-threatening.
"We are conducting a review on what happened inside the aircraft," she adds to the newspaper. "I can't characterize the extent of the injuries, but the safety of our passengers and our crew is our top priority."
The American Press says six people – three crew members and three passengers – were taken to local hospitals, though the newspaper says only five were treated for injuries.
Flight 1632 departed Houston at 8:08 p.m. local time and landed in Lake Charles about 40 minutes later, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.com.
Tuesday evening's incident came as a line of severe weather was moving through the greater Houston area
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating, the Houston Chronicle reports.
By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY
A United Airlines flight attendant remained in serious condition at a local hospital on Wednesday, a day after a one of the carrier's Boeing 737-700 jets made an emergency landing at Louisiana's Lake Charles Regional Airport.
Five people were treated for injuries after the New York LaGuardia-bound flight encountered severe turbulence shortly taking off from Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport on Tuesday evening.
Following the incident, Flight 1632 diverted to Lake Charles, where a United flight attendant – one of the injured – remained in serious condition at a local hospital as of Wednesday afternoon. Three of the five injured were flight attendants, according to KHOU 11 TV of Houston, which says some of the injured were taken off the plane on stretchers.
"We were about 30 minutes into the flight and the flight attendants were preparing to serve drinks," Jeff Hornback, a passenger sitting in first class on Flight 1632, says to TV station KPLC Channel 7 of Lake Charles. "Right about that time we hit some really severe turbulence and people who weren't buckled in or the flight attendants flew up and hit the ceiling of the plane and immediately were slammed down to the floor of the plane."
United spokeswoman Mary Ryan tells the Lake Charles American Press that none of the injuries were life-threatening.
"We are conducting a review on what happened inside the aircraft," she adds to the newspaper. "I can't characterize the extent of the injuries, but the safety of our passengers and our crew is our top priority."
The American Press says six people – three crew members and three passengers – were taken to local hospitals, though the newspaper says only five were treated for injuries.
Flight 1632 departed Houston at 8:08 p.m. local time and landed in Lake Charles about 40 minutes later, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.com.
Tuesday evening's incident came as a line of severe weather was moving through the greater Houston area
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating, the Houston Chronicle reports.
