A passenger has described the moment a flight attendant ‘flew up in the air’ as a plane plunged around 5,000ft in less than two minutes as if they were in the sci-fi film ‘The Matrix’.
The Allegiant Airlines flight, which took off from Asheville, North Carolina, was travelling at 18,000 feet before it dropped to around 13,000 feet.
Two passengers and two flight attendants were taken to hospital and treated for injuries – with one employee left with a protruding bone from his ankle.
The flight was traveling to St. Petersburg, Florida, when it suddenly lost altitude 15 minutes before landing.
Passenger Lisa Spriggs said: ‘Literally she flew up in the air — like Matrix is the only way I can think to describe it — was there for maybe half a second and then landed straight down.’
Four people were taken to hospital, though the extent of their injuries remains unclear. It is also unclear whether anyone else was injured.
Ms Spriggs also said an attendant and another employee broke their ankles, with the bone protruding from the employee’s foot.
Ms Spriggs added: ‘Thank goodness there was medical personnel on our flight… they were just administering whatever help they could.
‘I’m just thankful to be on the ground,’ she added, describing the situation as ‘terrifying. You hear of it happening, but you don’t expect it to be that bad.’
In a statement to WFLA, Allegiant executives said: ‘Today, Allegiant flight 227, en route from Asheville, NC to St. Petersburg, FL experienced severe turbulence before landing.
‘The plane, carrying 179 passengers and six crew members, landed normally and taxied to the gate under its own power.
‘Airport paramedics met the plans to assess two passengers and two flight attendants for injuries. They were transported to the hospital for further evaluation.’
The airline added that it will ‘continue to investigate the incident’ in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board ‘and will provide more information as soon as it becomes available.’