Passenger plane free-falls 1,200m for nearly a minute, 2 passengers injured

(Dan Tri) - A SkyWest airline flight (affiliated with United Express) had to make an emergency landing at an airport in Texas (USA) after free falling for nearly a minute, injuring two passengers.

Two passengers were hospitalized after a United Express flight to Houston encountered severe turbulence and was forced to divert to Austin, Texas.

Two passengers were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a United Express flight operated by SkyWest encountered severe turbulence and was forced to make an emergency landing in Austin, Texas.

“We need a stretcher and we have someone bleeding,” a pilot said in an air traffic control recording obtained by LiveATC.net on August 28. “SkyWest flight number 5971.”

The plane fell 1,200m in one minute due to air turbulence (Photo cut from clip).

The flight, which was departing from Aspen, Colorado with 39 passengers and four crew members, suddenly encountered turbulence.

Data from FlightRadar24 shows that about 90 minutes after takeoff, the plane suddenly lost about 4,000 feet in altitude in just one minute. The plane then changed course toward Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and continued to lose more than 25,000 feet in altitude over the next six minutes.

Passenger plane free-falls 1,200m in nearly a minute, 2 people injured ( Video source: News).

After SkyWest Flight 5971 landed, 39 passengers and 4 crew members were taken for medical examination and injury assessment. Two injured passengers were taken to the hospital by ambulance. The passengers' injuries were caused by hitting their heads and the ceiling of the plane.

The plane landed in Austin three hours later than scheduled.

The incident occurred on a SkyWest flight (Photo: News).

Turbulence is one of the most unpredictable weather phenomena for pilots. It is often caused by factors such as storms or mountainous terrain, which disturb the flow of air in the same way that rocks make river water more turbulent.

According to experts, the phenomenon tends to increase and may become more serious as the earth continues to warm.

In a statement to FOX 26 , a SkyWest representative confirmed that the airline's top priority is the safety and well-being of passengers on board the flight. The airline continues to work with its partner United to support passengers.

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