Eight people on a JetBlue flight were hospitalized after it experienced "severe turbulence" as they traveled from Ecuador to Florida on Monday, the airline said.
Flight 1256, which took off from Guayaquil, Ecuador, and was headed to Fort Lauderdale, “experienced sudden severe turbulence as it neared Florida,” JetBlue said in a statement.
The plane landed safely at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, JetBlue said, where it was met by medical personnel.
Seven passengers and a crew member were hospitalized for evaluation and treatment, JetBlue said. No additional details were provided about their conditions.
The plane, JetBlue said, was taken out of service for an inspection.
According to the flight-tracking website FlightAware, the flight landed on time shortly before 5:30 a.m. ET.
Hitting rough skies on commercial flights, leading to injuries, is not unheard of.
In August, at least 11 people were hospitalized after a Delta Air Lines flight experienced strong turbulence.
In July, four people on an Allegiant flight from North Carolina to Florida were injured because of turbulence.
In March, a Lufthansa flight from Texas to Germany experienced "significant turbulence" and was diverted. Seven people were hospitalized.
