Seven passengers were hospitalized Friday after a flight from Israel to Newark was hit by turbulence and high winds.
United Flight 85 from Tel Aviv to Newark, New Jersey, was diverted to Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, New York, on Friday due to dangerous winds, officials said. Associated Press.
This was announced by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). in a statement The flight was forced to land due to a “passenger medical emergency,” the crew reported. The FAA will investigate the incident.
New Windsor EMT Chief Michael Bigg told multiple media outlets that seven passengers on the plane were injured and were being treated at a New York hospital. Bigg also said passengers complained of nausea, motion sickness and chest pain due to the turbulence. NBC News.
United Airlines said in an email statement to The Hill that Flight 85 landed at Stewart International Airport “in response to reports of high winds in Newark.”
“One passenger deplaned due to a medical emergency, and several other passengers were evaluated by medical personnel for possible motion sickness,” the statement continued. “The plane refueled and departed for Newark.”
No serious injuries were reported, according to the Associated Press.
United’s diversion on Friday comes after a series of recent negative incidents for the airline, including a plane losing a tire during takeoff. The airline announced last week that the FAA is increasing scrutiny of United Airlines in response to these incidents.
In a memo earlier this month, Sasha Johnson, United’s vice president of corporate safety, told employees: “The safety-related events of the past few weeks have understandably given us pause and asked us to do things differently. We decided to consider whether there is anything we can or should do.”
The Hill has reached out to Bigg’s office.
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