Five people were taken to a hospital Sunday night from Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina, where their American Airlines flight from Miami had landed safely after experiencing turbulence, officials said.
American Airlines said in a statement that the plane’s seatbelt sign was turned on when it encountered the rough patch, which the airline called “unexpected.”
“American Airlines flight 1286 with service from Miami (MIA) to Raleigh-Durham (RDU) landed safely at RDU after encountering unexpected turbulence while in flight. We thank our crew members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding,” the statement said.
Three flight attendants and two passengers were taken to a local hospital after landing and have since been discharged, according to American Airlines. In a separate statement, officials at Raleigh-Durham International Airport said emergency services personnel transported all five people from the airport to WakeMed Hospital to be evaluated.
A spokesperson for Wake County EMS — among several emergency crews called to the scene — said none of the injuries were considered life-threatening. Another four people were evaluated at the site by EMS workers but refused care, the spokesperson said.
The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed it will investigate the incident.
“American Airlines Flight 1286 landed safely at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina around 10:50 p.m. local time on Sunday, June 22, after the crew reported possible injuries to a cabin crew and passengers due to turbulence,” the agency said in a statement Monday.
Lee Francis, a passenger on the flight, told CBS News affiliate WNCN that he and his family were returning home to North Carolina after taking a vacation. He recalled commotion on board amid the turbulence.
“Everybody’s hollering, I’ve got my wife’s hand, she’s got my kids, you know, like, we’re doing the whole thing,” said Francis, who also commended flight attendants for their handling of the situation. “It was wild because while they were there, I mean they’re injured, those carts are super heavy, they’re injured and yet they were so awesome, because they’re literally telling people like, stay in your seat, don’t help us, we don’t know what’s going on, keep your seatbelt on.”
