Seven people were taken to hospital after a United Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Newark, New Jersey, experienced “severe turbulence” earlier this week.
On Friday, United Airlines Flight 85 landed at Stewart International Airport (SWF) in Orange County, New York, after “high winds” in Newark, a United spokesperson told PEOPLE.
“One passenger was disembarked due to a medical incident and several other customers were examined by medical staff for possible nausea,” the spokesperson said. “The flight was refueled and continued to Newark.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noted on its website that the plane landed around 6:45 p.m. local time following reports of a “medical emergency” from a passenger on the Boeing 787.
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United Airlines flight at Newark Liberty Airport.
In a statement to several media outlets — including CNN, NBC News and CBS News — New Windsor EMS Chief Michael Bigg said seven people were taken to hospital after the plane’s crew told EMS that the plane had “hit severe turbulence “.
There were no “serious injuries or illnesses,” he added.
“Upon arrival, our first EMS unit on the scene was met by the flight crew who stated that they encountered severe turbulence upon landing at Newark and were diverted to New York International Airport and advised our crew that there were multiple people in the plane who complain of nausea. , some chest pain, from the turbulence,” Bigg said, also noting that there were a total of 319 people on board.
“We assessed about 30 people and transported 7 to a local hospital for observation only, no serious injuries or illnesses,” he added in his statement. “Most people just wanted to get checked out at the local emergency department.”
The FAA will investigate the flight.
New Windsor EMS did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment Saturday.
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The Associated Press previously reported that United Airlines’ vice president of corporate security, Sasha Johnson, said the FAA was stepping up oversight of the airline.
The news follows reports of a March 16 flight that landed safely with a missing panel and a hydraulic problem on a March 8 flight from San Francisco to Mexico. Last weekend, a flight from San Francisco to Denver also struck a bird and returned to its point of origin.
“Over the next several weeks, we will begin to see an increased FAA presence in our operations as they begin to review some of our work processes, manuals and facilities,” Johnson wrote in a memo to employees, according to the AP. “We welcome their engagement and are very open to hearing from them what they’ve discovered and their perspective on things we might need to change to make us even safer.”
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In a statement to customers on March 18, United CEO Scott Kirby said that safety “is our highest priority and is at the heart of everything we do.”
“Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, our airline has experienced numerous incidents that are reminders of the importance of safety,” he wrote. “Although they are not all connected, I want you to know that these incidents have drawn our attention and sharpened our focus.”
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