Severe turbulence on United Airlines flight causes Chicago-bound plane to land in Memphis; one injured

Passengers of a United Airlines flight made an unexpected stop in Memphis on their way to Chicago.

A flight from Cancun, Mexico to Chicago was diverted to Memphis on Wednesday after passengers suffered injuries from turbulence. Flight 1196 experienced turbulence while the seatbelt sign was on.

Paramedics met the aircraft at the gate and one passenger was taken to the hospital. There were 172 passengers and seven crew members on the flight.

United Airlines released a statement yesterday saying, "We’re grateful to our crew for their efforts to ensure the safety of our employees and customers."

According to FlightAware , the flight left Cancun at 12:15 p.m. EST. It landed in Memphis at 2:54 p.m. and later departed at 4:34 p.m. CDT. Flight 1196 arrived at its initial destination of Chicago at 6:27 p.m. CDT Wednesday evening.

The flight typically takes about 4 hours to complete.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Severe turbulence on United Airlines flight causes Chicago-bound plane to land in Memphis; one injured