It’s tough enough to endure a 13-hour flight, but imagine a bout of turbulence so bad that that at least one person is left with a broken bone.
At least 20 people were hurt from violent shakes on board a United Airlines flight from Dulles International Airport to Tokyo, Japan, Saturday.
The jet carrying 263 people left suburban Washington, D.C., just after 2:30 Saturday morning.
Everything appeared to go smoothly for the first seven hours of the trip. Then, when the 747-400 was over Alaska, trouble started.
A News4 viewer, whose husband was on board the flight, said the pilot made an announcement warning passengers about severe turbulence. The pilot told everyone to return to return their seats and fasten their seat belts, according to Dr. John Gordon IV of Gainesville, Va., who was lying down in business class at the time.
While the pilot’s message wasn’t out of the ordinary, what happened next was anything but routine.
“He bounced 3-feet in the air and crashed back into his seat,” said Gordon’s wife Janet.
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Dr. Gordon also witnessed the most violent effects of the turbulence on a female member of the flight crew.
He said the flight attendant was walking up and down to the aisle to check on passengers when she was suddenly thrown up to the ceiling, before slamming down on the floor.
United Airlines confirms one person broke their leg during the ordeal. Dr. Gordon believes that person was the woman he saw hit the ceiling.
The extent of the injuries to the other 20 people hurt are not clear.
Dr. Gordon said those sitting in the tail of the plane got hit the hardest from the turbulence. He said two doctors on board sprang to action and help those hurt.
The plane was set to make a stop in Alaska but played it safe and continued on to Tokyo.
Seven hours after the severe turbulence, around 3:45 p.m., the plane landed safely at Narita Airport.
More than a dozen ambulances were waiting on the tarmac, according to Dr, Gordon. He said most of the crew had to be carried out on stretchers or by other medically-assisted means.
There’s no word from United on whether there was any damage to the plane.
