‘It looked like the Matrix’: Passengers describe moment ‘several people hit the ceiling’ during terrifying turbulence where plane plunged 5,000ft in less than two minutes leaving several injured
- Allegiant Airlines flight dropped from 18,000ft to 13,000 ft in under two minutes
- One passenger described a flight attendant flying up in the air as like the ‘matrix’
- Were you on the flight? Email [email protected]
A passenger has described the moment a flight attendant ‘flew up in the air’ as a plane plunged around 5,000ft in less than two minutes as like the ‘matrix’.
The Allegiant Airlines flight, which took off from Asheville, North Carolina, was travelling at 18,000 feet before it dropped to around 13,000 feet in less than two minutes.
Two passengers and two flight attendants were taken to hospital and treated for injuries – with one employee left with a protruding bone from his ankle.
The flight was traveling to St. Petersburg, Florida, from Asheville, North Carolina when it suddenly lost altitude 15 minutes before landing.
Passenger Lisa Spriggs said: ‘Literally she flew up in the air — like Matrix is the only way I can think to describe it — was there for maybe half a second and then landed straight down.’
Were you on the flight? Email [email protected]
Passengers onboard an Allegiant Airlines flight arriving in Florida Wednesday afternoon had to be treated for injuries after the flight encountered turbulence
A fire truck is seen at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport responding to the medical emergency
Four people were taken to the hospital, though the extent of their injuries remains unclear. It is also unclear whether anyone else was injured.
Ms Spriggs also said an attendant and another employee broke their ankles, with the bone protruding from the employee’s foot.
Ms Spriggs added: ‘Thank goodness there was medical personnel on our flight… they were just administering whatever help they could.’
‘I’m just thankful to be on the ground,’ she added, describing the situation as ‘terrifying. You hear of it happening, but you don’t expect it to be that bad.’
In a statement to WFLA, Allegiant executives said: ‘Today, Allegiant flight 227, en route from Asheville, NC to St. Petersburg, FL experienced severe turbulence before landing.
‘The plane, carrying 179 passengers and six crew members, landed normally and taxied to the gate under its own power.
Ambulances were lined up outside the airport Wednesday evening
‘Airport paramedics met the plans to assess two passengers and two flight attendants for injuries. They were transported to the hospital for further evaluation.’
The airline added that it will ‘continue to investigate the incident’ in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board ‘and will provide more information as soon as it becomes available.’
One man onboard the plane shared how he saw several passengers hit their heads during the tumultuous flight before several people were taken off the plane in stretchers.
‘There was a sudden burst of turbulence and then major, major turbulence,’ Paul Harris told WFLA. ‘The plane felt like it dropped pretty considerably. Several people, including a lady in my row hit the ceiling.’
He added that several of the overhead bins opened up and couldn’t be closed because they broke.
