Nine people were taken to a Miami hospital after an Avianca flight bound for New York was diverted to Miami International Airport following severe turbulence.
Flight 42 was travelling from Medellín, Colombia, to John F Kennedy International Airport when the turbulence was reported. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the aircraft landed safely at about 3.30am on Friday.
Avianca said three crew members and six passengers had “suffered injuries or health issues” linked to the severe turbulence. The extent of their injuries has not been disclosed.
Maria Paula Jimenez, a passenger at Miami International Airport as the flight arrived, said she saw several ambulances near the aircraft’s disembarkation area.
“When we arrived, when we landed, we saw that very close to where we were going to disembark, there were more than five or six ambulances. Seven of them with their lights on as if they were waiting for something,” she said in Spanish.
“When we arrived, well, you know, it wasn’t normal.”
The remaining passengers were being assisted by Avianca’s airport team with arrangements to continue their journey to New York.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate the severe turbulence incident.
