Seven people were taken to hospitals after severe turbulence forced their flight to be diverted to Washington Dulles International Airport on Wednesday night, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) officials said.
Lufthansa flight 469, en route to Frankfurt, Germany, from Austin, Texas, landed safely at Dulles at around 9:10 p.m. after encountering turbulence at 37,000 feet over Tennessee, the FAA said.
Passengers said the flight began with a little turbulence, but was going well, and food and beverage service was underway when the journey took a terrifying turn. It was about 90 minutes into the flight, Lufthansa said.
The airplane, an Airbus A330-300, dropped twice in about 20 seconds, one passenger said.
Jazz Kantipudi said he saw a flight attendant leave the floor and hit the ceiling of the plane.
“He was literally standing up serving drinks, so he had no way to brace himself,” Kantipudi said. “At one of the drops, he literally, completely, hit the ceiling and dropped down and was completely horizontal.”
“I looked to my right and I saw him just up there, and it was honestly kind of freaky... like something out of a movie."
U.S. & World
Actor Matthew McConaughey and his wife, Camila, were among the passengers on board, a source familiar with the matter said.
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Food and packaging were strewn throughout an aisle, video from the plane shows.
One passenger said the pilot told them that the plane dropped about 4,000 feet.
MWAA said crews assessed injuries to several passengers before they were taken to hospitals. The plane was offloaded.
News4 is working to learn more about the extent of the injuries.
Lufthansa said the flight made the unscheduled landing as a precautionary measure, and passengers are being rebooked.
"Lufthansa regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers. The safety and well-being of passengers and crew members is Lufthansa's top priority at all times," the airline said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.
