Seven passengers on a flight to Europe late Wednesday were transported to hospitals when the plane hit “significant turbulence,” leaving the aircraft’s interior trashed.
The Lufthansa Flight 469 was traveling from Austin, Texas, to Frankfurt, Germany, when the incident happened, NBC News reported.
The turbulence forced pilots to land the plane at Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority explained.
A photo taken inside the aircraft shows food trays and debris scattered all over the floor, with a few passengers still in their seats.
The aircraft eventually landed safely at around 9:00 p.m. in Washington. It was reportedly over Tennessee when it encountered the turbulence, and radar showed the plane dropping approximately 300 feet amid a storm cell, per the New York Post.
“A Twitter user, who claimed his wife was on the flight, said the turbulence was a surprise and those hurt weren’t wearing seat belts,” the outlet said.
When flight attendants were serving dinner, the plane reportedly went into a free fall as “people and food went flying into the air, hitting and even damaging the ceiling of the plane,” another passenger stated.
Following the incident, seven of those onboard were taken to hospitals, but their conditions were not immediately reported.
“The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported encountering severe turbulence around 37,000 feet, while the aircraft was over Tennessee. The FAA will investigate,” the NBC report noted.
Video someone recorded from inside the plane shows trash on the floor, food, cutlery, and other items dumped nearby:
According to weather.gov, turbulence is considered one of the most unpredictable weather events pilots experience. It is defined as:
Turbulence is an irregular motion of the air resulting from eddies and vertical currents. It may be as insignificant as a few annoying bumps or severe enough to momentarily throw an airplane out of control or to cause structural damage. Turbulence is associated with fronts, wind shear, thunderstorms, etc.
“In reporting turbulence, it is usually classed as light, moderate, severe or extreme. The degree is determined by the nature of the initiating agency and by the degree of stability of the air,” the website stated.
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