Multiple hospitalized after severe turbulence, 25K-foot drop forces NYC-bound flight to make emergency landing

At least nine passengers and crew were hospitalized early Friday after severe turbulence hit a New York-bound plane, forcing it to make an emergency landing after dropping 25,000 feet.

An Avianca plane left Medellin, Colombia, at 10:40 p.m. local time Thursday heading for JFK, but it was forced to divert and land in Miami just three hours into the flight.

The Airbus A320 climbed to around 35,000 feet as it flew over Jamaica and Cuba, heading north, before making a sharp descent about 2 ½ hours into the flight. 

At least eight people were hospitalized after a NYC-bound flight from Colombia was forced to divert and make an emergency landing in Miami. ABC Miami The plane descended 25,000 feet in a matter of minutes, according to FlightRadar24 data, before it then landed in Miami.

“When we arrived, when we landed, we saw that very close to where we were going to disembark, there were more than five or six ambulances,” Maria Paula Jimenez, a passenger, told CBS Miami.

“Seven of them with their lights on as if they were waiting for something. When we arrived, well, you know, it wasn’t normal.”

The Avianca flight dropped 25,000 feet and hit severe turbulence. robin – stock.adobe.com “Multiple patients” were injured, Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue officials said after the plane touched down around 3:30 a.m — with at least one of the injured serious enough to be rushed to a trauma center.

The airline later said that nine people — including three crew members — were taken to a medical facility for treatment.

Uninjured passengers were flown to New York City Friday morning, according to Avianca.

“The safety of our customers and employees is, and will remain, the foundation of our operations,” the airline said in a statement.

It’s unclear how many passengers and crew were on board the flight.

Video, seen by NBC6, appears to show passengers with ice packs on their heads while being instructed to stay seated.