Video: Severe turbulence injures two on SkyWest flight; plane diverted to Austin

Two passengers were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a United Express flight operated by SkyWest Airlines hit severe turbulence and was forced to divert to Austin, Texas, on Thursday evening, CNN reported.

SkyWest flight 5971, operating as United Express, was en route from Aspen, Colorado, to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport with 39 passengers and four crew members on board when the turbulence struck.

Air traffic control audio captured by LiveATC.net recorded a pilot requesting urgent medical support: “We’re going to need a stretcher, and there is bleeding as well. SkyWest 5971.”

According to flight-tracking site FlightRadar24, the Embraer E175 aircraft suddenly plunged about 4,000 feet in under a minute, roughly 90 minutes into its journey near Fort Worth. ADS-B data showed a maximum vertical rate of -11,456 feet per minute at one point, before the plane stabilised and began a rapid descent toward Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

The aircraft declared a general emergency by squawking 7700 before landing safely in Austin.

Emergency medical crews assessed all 39 passengers and four crew upon landing. Two adults were transported to hospital “out of an abundance of caution,” but no life-threatening injuries were reported, Austin-Travis County EMS confirmed.

“Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of all onboard and we are working with our partner United to assist customers,” SkyWest said in a statement.

Aviation experts note that turbulence is among the most unpredictable hazards for pilots, often caused by storms or airflow disruptions over mountains. Studies suggest turbulence is becoming more frequent and intense as global temperatures rise.