ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A Florida-bound flight dropped about 5,000 feet in less than two minutes when it hit severe turbulence, injuring some passengers and flight attendants.
The Allegiant flight from Asheville, North Carolina, was in a descent to Clearwater when the turbulence happened.
The Airbus A320 dropped about 5,000 feet (1,524 meters), from an elevation of about 18,000 feet (5,486 meters) to 13,000 feet (3,962 meters), in less than two minutes, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
At least two passengers and two flight attendants had to be taken to the hospital.
“All of a sudden, we hit a major turbulence where literally she flew up in the air like “Matrix” is the only way I can describe it,” said Lisa Sprigss, a passenger on the flight.
Allegiant said they will be investigating the incident with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Allegiant flight was traveling from Asheville Regional Airport to St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, where it landed normally and taxied to the gate under its own power, the airline said in a statement. The plane was carrying 179 passengers and six crew members.
Earlier this month, a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Sydney hit severe turbulence, injuring seven people on board. And last year, 20 people were hospitalized, with 11 seriously injured, after turbulence struck a Hawaiian Airlines plane flying from Phoenix to Honolulu.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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