AUSTIN – At least seven people aboard a flight from Texas to Germany were hospitalized in the Washington D.C. area after they experienced turbulence on a plane.
The FAA said that Lufthansa Flight 469, an Airbus A330, was flying from Austin to Frankfurt, Germany, when it reported “severe turbulence” at 37,000 feet altitude over Tennessee.
The flight diverted to Dulles International Airport and landed without incident on Wednesday night.
News outlets reported that at least seven people were taken to hospitals in the Washington D.C. area after the landing. The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time.
NBC Washington reported that the turbulence happened during food and beverage service, and one passenger saw a flight attendant hit the ceiling.
“He was literally standing up serving drinks, so he had no way to brace himself,” Jazz Kantipudi told the station. “At one of the drops, he literally, completely, hit the ceiling and dropped down and was completely horizontal.”
See footage from one passenger in the video player above.
Passengers told the station that the airplane dropped 4,000 feet over two times in 20 seconds.
Another passenger told KVUE in Austin that some of the injured were not wearing seatbelts because the turbulence came as a surprise.
The FAA is investigating.