The National Transportation Safety Board said it has opened an investigation into a JetBlue flight that experienced sudden severe turbulence on Monday, injuring seven passengers and a crew member.
The incident occurred on Monday on JetBlue flight 1256, an Airbus A320, near Jamaica while en route from Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the board said.
JetBlue said the seven customers and one in-flight crew member were met by medical personnel and transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment, and that the flight landed safely.
JetBlue flight 1256 had traveled from Guayaquil, Ecuador, and was headed to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood international airport for a landing shortly after 5am when it “experienced sudden severe turbulence as it neared Florida”, according to a statement from the airline.
The airline said it could not comment on the severity of the injuries. It was not immediately known if the injured were wearing seatbelts. The airline said the Airbus 320 twin-engine plane was taken out of service for inspection.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was also investigating the flight. Serious injuries as a result of turbulence remain rare, according to FAA data. A total of four passengers and 13 crew were seriously injured in US passenger flights in 2022.
“JetBlue will work to support our customers and crewmembers,” a company spokesperson said.
