A SkyWest Airlines flight from Aspen, Colorado to Houston was hit by severe turbulence and diverted to Austin on Thursday evening. The plane landed safely at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where 39 passengers and four crew members were checked for possible injuries by Austin-Travis County EMS, according to KHOU.
Two adult passengers were taken to local hospitals as a precaution, but their injuries are not expected to be serious. CNN reported that the plane dropped about 4,000 feet in under a minute due to turbulence and then lost over 25,000 feet in the next six minutes. Reports show that turbulence is becoming more common.
SkyWest Airlines said airport operations at AUS were not affected by a flight diversion and the airline is working with United to help passengers. A spokesperson said, "Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of all onboard and we are working with our partner United to assist customers." The diversion followed mid-air turbulence, with a pilot heard on LiveATC.net saying, "We're going to need a stretcher, and there is bleeding as well. SkyWest 5971," as mentioned by CNN. The turbulence was caused by storms and changes in air flow over the area.
