At least eight people were taken to the hospital because of severe turbulence on a flight from Medellín, Colombia, that had to be diverted to Miami International Airport (MIA), according to authorities.
“Avianca flight 042, which was traveling from Medellín, Colombia, to JFK Airport in New York, had to be diverted to Miami International Airport due to turbulence and landed today at 3:30 a.m. ET. Some passengers were taken to a nearby hospital,” Miami International Airport said in a brief statement.
Miami-Dade firefighters confirmed to Telemundo 51 that they responded to an incident with “multiple patients injured by turbulence,” and they said eight people were taken to the hospital by ambulance.
One of the passengers was transported with a trauma alert.
A video recorded with a cellphone inside the plane appears to show people with ice packs on their heads while they are instructed to keep their seat belts fastened.
In addition, Telemundo 51 cameras captured some passengers arriving at the hospital with their luggage.
Passengers interviewed by Telemundo 51 described the terrifying moments on board.
“We thought it was the last day. We thought that was as far as we had gotten. It was very strong, never before lived,” said one of the passengers on the Avianca flight.
She said there were at least three very strong turbulences and that upon arrival they were surprised to see so many ambulances on the runway.
The Colombian airline explained in a statement about flight AV042, which covered the Medellín (MDE) – New York (JFK) route, that it “presented unexpected turbulence during the journey.”
“As a preventive measure and in accordance with the airline’s safety protocols, the flight was diverted to Miami International Airport (MIA), where the aircraft landed safely. According to the report, 3 cabin crew members and 6 passengers presented effects associated with the turbulence.”
The airline added that the Avianca team and the airport’s medical services activated the corresponding protocols to provide immediate attention to those affected.
“For the other passengers, the Avianca airports team has arranged the necessary measures to guarantee the continuity of their itinerary to New York, providing assistance and accompaniment at all times,” the statement adds.
“The safety of our customers and collaborators is and will continue to be the fundamental pillar of our operation,” another part of the text says.
Avianca says it maintains contact with the passengers and crew members involved, while it continues to attend to the situation.
Eight people were hospitalized after a plane heading to New York made an emergency landing at Miami International Airport early Friday, according to authorities.
Avianca flight 042 was traveling from Medellín, Colombia, to JFK Airport in New York, but was diverted to Miami due to turbulence and landed at 3:30 a.m. Friday, according to Gren Chin, spokesperson for Miami International Airport.
Eight people were taken to a hospital, Chin said.
According to FlightAware, the flight took off from José María Córdova International Airport at 10:40 p.m. Thursday before making the emergency stop.
It is scheduled to depart for New York at 8:25 a.m., according to FlightAware.
