Seven United Airlines passengers injured as plane forced to make emergency landing after severe turbulence

SEVEN United Airlines passengers were injured after a flight was forced to divert due to severe turbulence.

The incident took place after the flight from Cancun, Mexico , to Chicago, Illinois , was cut short on Wednesday.

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The United flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Memphis International Airport in Tennessee at around 2:40 pm.

Flight UA1196 experienced “a brief period of severe turbulence,” United Airlines shared in a statement with ABC News .

The carrier revealed that the turbulence hit when the seatbelt sign was on.

It was first reported by the crew when the aircraft was over Louisiana .

Paramedics met the plane at the gate after its emergency landing.

One passenger was transported to the hospital but was in a non-critical condition, according to the Memphis Fire Department.

Six other flyers refused medical treatment and the extent of their injuries is not known.

United revealed that this Boeing 737-900 had 172 passengers and seven crew members on board at the time, according to ABC News.

“We’re grateful to our crew for their efforts to ensure the safety of our employees and customers,” United Airlines said.

This plane later departed and carried on to Chicago on Wednesday afternoon.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that it would investigate the incident.

Passengers from the flight recalled their terrifying experience on the plane when speaking to NBC affiliate WMAQ-TV .

“I travel a lot, but I’ve never had a flight like this,” flyer Gustavo Nouel said.

Another passenger revealed that a flight attendant was nearly thrown against the ceiling during the turbulence.

Travel horror stories

Although most flyers do not encounter major issues on their travels, some people have had had terrible experiences, The U.S. Sun has previously reported.

• Flyers on a United Airlines plane were shocked when a passenger appeared to bite a flight attendant in mid-air .
• An American Airlines plane had to make an emergency landing after a bathroom on board overflowed .
• A shocking video showed how a Delta and American Airlines flight came within feet of crashing into one another in the air.

“People were really hurt. We have stains all over our clothes because of food going everywhere,” flyer Patrick Froh said.

“It was one of the most traumatic things.”

The U.S. Sun has reached out to United Airlines for comment.

PLANE NIGHTMARE

These passengers have not been the only ones to experience extreme turbulence on board their flights this summer, The U.S. Sun has previously reported.

A terrifying video showed the moment a flyer had to be pulled down from an overhead locker while the plane was in the air.

30 people were injured after a flight from Madrid, Spain to Montevideo, Uruguay, was forced to make an emergency landing.