Six passengers on a United Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Newark on Friday had to be transported to the hospital after severe turbulence struck the Boeing 787 Dreamliner as it was making its final descent in the New York area.
The pilots of the one-year-old 787-10, which has a capacity for as many as 318 passengers, declared a medical emergency after the turbulence rocked the aircraft and diverted to Stewart International Airport in Orange County, New York.
Local emergency responders initially declared a mass casualty event, with the New Windsor Emergency Medical Services saying that it sent a fleet of ambulances and 25 paramedics to the airport to treat the wounded.
Paramedics treated ‘multiple’ passengers for minor injuries, and New Windsor EMS said six passengers had to be transported to the hospital for further evaluation.
Data provided by Flight Radar 24 shows that United Flight UA85 flew over its intended destination of Newark Liberty International Airport at a low altitude, but the pilots seemingly decided to perform a go-around after the aircraft was buffeted by high winds.
The aircraft then immediately diverted to Stewart International Airport, where it landed a short time later at around 6 pm. The airplane remained on the ground for around two hours before continuing to Newark.
In a statement, a spokesperson for United told us: “On Friday, March 29, United flight 85 landed at Stewart International Airport (SWF) after reported high winds at Newark.”
“One passenger deplaned due to a medical incident, and a few other customers were seen by medical personnel for possible motion sickness. The flight refueled and continued to Newark tonight.”
United Airlines became the first U.S. carrier to resume flights to Tel Aviv on March 2 following a detailed “detailed safety analysis”.
Flight UA85 on Friday was said to be full to capacity and United is “keen” to resume a second daily service from Newark as demand recovers.
