Eight injured as JetBlue flight faces severe turbulence before landing in Florida

Eight individuals were injured and sent to hospital following a "turbulent" incident on a JetBlue flight bound for Florida. JetBlue Flight 1256, en route from Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, experienced sudden severe turbulence on September 25 before landing at its destination.After a safe landing at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, seven passengers and one crew member were taken to a local hospital for medical treatment and evaluation. The extent of their injuries remains unknown, media reports said. "JetBlue will work to support our customers and crewmembers," a company spokesperson reportedly said, adding, "The aircraft for this flight has been taken out of service for inspection."

NTSB probe

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) initiated an investigation into the incident on Monday afternoon.

The turbulence occurred during the cruise flight near Jamaica while en route from Guayaquil to Fort Lauderdale.

This is not an isolated incident of such kind. There have been other recent incidents this year involving injuries resulting from severe turbulence on flights.

A Delta flight approaching Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport experienced severe turbulence, sending 11 individuals to the hospital nearly a month ago.

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In March, one person was killed when a Bombardier CL30 jet encountered severe turbulence on a flight from New Hampshire to Virginia. The incident necessitated a diversion to Bradley International Airport in Connecticut.

Another March incident involved multiple hospitalisations after a Lufthansa flight from Austin to Frankfurt, Germany, experienced turbulence and made an emergency landing at Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

Approximately 20 passengers and crew members on a Condor flight from Frankfurt to Mauritius were injured due to turbulence in March.

In April last year, a JetBlue aircraft made many attempts to land at John F Kennedy Airport in New York unsuccessfully due to bad weather.

A video took social media by storm showing some chaotic scenes from inside the flight where passengers were seen begging to deboard the flight.

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FAA investigation

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is conducting its own investigation into the latest JetBlue incident that unfolded on September 25, reported Reuters.

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FAA data reportedly indicates that serious injuries caused by turbulence remain rare.

In 2022, there were four passengers and 13 crew members who sustained significant injuries during US passenger flights.

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