It was a chaotic scene after a United Airlines flight touched down in Africa. The Boeing plane had to make an emergency landing at the airport. This comes after the flight suddenly plunged downward in mid-air.
Around 40 people were injured during the sudden maneuver. Six people suffered significant injuries and had to be rushed to the hospital. I imagine that things plunged into chaos on the plane. The flight was headed from Nigeria to Washington D.C. when it was forced to turn back. Just 93 minutes into the trip, the Boeing plane plunged through the air.
The United Airlines flight had 245 passengers and 11 crew members on board. The plunge tossed everything around the Flight 613 including food, trays, and people's bags. It sent items slinging into people during the plunge. People screamed and shouted. In total, 31 passengers and 7 crew members got injured.
Boeing Plane Plunges
According to a statement from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, emergency crews were ready to treat the injured. It wrote, "We would however like to clarify that, as part of standard emergency procedures, the medical team was on ground before the aircraft landed. The FAAN medical team, led by a very senior management staff was present and prepared, alongside the firefighting team, well before the aircraft touched down in MMA."
It continued, "Also, the medical team were in direct communication with the pilot prior to the aircraft's landing in Lagos. This can be verified with the airline and other stakeholders who were present to receive the returning aircraft."
Six people ended up at Duchess Hospital in Ikeja. According to a United Airlines spokesperson, the hospital released these injured travelers. The cause of what caused the Boeing plane to plunge is undetermined. However, investigations have ruled out turbulence as a cause. The airline is "working with aviation authorities in the US and Nigeria to understand the cause."
It's the second time that the same Boeing plane has plunged out of the sky. According to New York Post, the same aircraft plunged on the way to Washington from Lagos on Tuesday. It also plunged around 90 minutes into the flight. I'm not sure why the Boeing plane wasn't removed after the first incident.
