Multiple people were sent to the hospital following what’s been reported as “severe turbulence” on an American Airlines flight from Tampa, Florida to Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday.
Per a report from the Associated Press, the plane was diverted to the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama after encountering “unexpected turbulence” while over the Pensacola region.
A total of eight people were hospitalized after the incident, which ultimately saw the plane make a safe landing in Alabama at around 3:17 p.m. local time. Per CBS News, the FAA has already confirmed it would be investigating, while the NTSB (at least at the time of this writing) had not made a final call as to whether or not to inquire further.
When reached for comment by Complex on Thursday morning, a rep for American Airlines confirmed that two flight attendants and six passengers were transported to a nearby hospital “for further evaluation.” Additional information, however, was not made public regarding the nature of injuries, although multiple reports have described them as minor. The rep also confirmed that a total of 52 customers, two pilots, and two flight attendants were aboard the flight at the time. See the full statement below.
“American Eagle flight 3609 with service from Tampa, Florida (TPA) to Nashville, Tennessee (BNA) diverted to Birmingham, Alabama (BHM) after encountering unexpected turbulence. The Embraer E175 landed without incident at 3:17 p.m. CT and safely taxied to the gate. Two flight attendants and six passengers were transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.”
