A United Airlines flight en route to Chicago was diverted to Tennessee after experiencing “severe turbulence” on Wednesday, the airline said.
Seven people were injured, one of whom was taken to a local hospital, authorities said.
MORE: 2-year-old stuck in cabin ceiling after severe turbulence on Air Europa flight, mother says
Flight UA1196 encountered “a brief period of severe turbulence” on Wednesday afternoon, United Airlines said in a statement. The seatbelt sign was on at the time, the airline said.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the crew reported severe turbulence over Louisiana before landing safely at Memphis International Airport at around 2:40 p.m. CT.
Paramedics met the plane at the gate and took one passenger to the hospital, United said. The person suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Memphis Fire Department.
Six others refused treatment and transport and the extent of their injuries is unknown, the fire department said.
“We are grateful to our crew for their efforts to ensure the safety of our employees and customers,” United said.
MORE: What causes turbulence and how can it pose a threat to air traffic? An expert explains
The Boeing 737-900 was en route from Cancun International Airport to Chicago O’Hare International Airport at the time, the airline said. There were 172 passengers and seven crew members on board, United said.
Since Wednesday evening, the plane has been back in the air and is flying to Chicago.
The FAA said the case is currently under investigation.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.
United flight diverted to Memphis due to ‘severe’ turbulence: Airline originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
