Plane Makes Emergency Landing After Hitting Turbulence

A Continental Airlines jet flying from Rio de Janeiro to Houston made an emergency landing in Miami after experiencing severe turbulence. The turbulence was strong enough that at least 26 people were injured, four seriously. According to a report in the Miami Herald (August 3, 2009) 14 of the injured people were taken to local hospital while the rest of the injured were treated at the scene.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson Kathleen Bergen, Flight 128 was approximately 50 miles north of the Dominican Republic when it hit the turbulence, causing some passengers to crash into the plane's ceiling. The Herald article notes that one woman's head was stuck in the plane's frame while another woman was knocked unconscious by in-flight merchandise including perfume bottles.

The FAA is examining the plane and investigating whether other planes in the area experienced turbulence. The Boeing 767 had 168 people on board and landed in Miami approximately one hour after hitting the turbulence.