At least fifteen people were injured after a passenger plane suddenly lost altitude mid-flight.
The JetBlue Airbus A320 departed from Cancun Airport in Mexico on Thursday bound for Newark Airport in New Jersey, but was forced to make an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida.
The aircraft had reached an altitude of 35,000 feet and a cruising speed of more than 620 mph before it abruptly dropped about an hour into the flight.
Audio recordings captured the pilot requesting medical assistance from air traffic controllers.
“JetBlue 1230 descending to 10 thousand, we’re leveling 297,” the pilot said.
“We need medical equipment… because of flight control issue, it caused the medical issue,” they added.
Three people on board suffered a “laceration in the head”, the pilot said.
When the plane landed in Tampa, at least fifteen passengers were taken to the hospital for treatment.
Investigators are now working to determine what caused the sudden altitude loss.
JetBlue said the aircraft experienced a drop in altitude and the "flight was met by medical personnel who evaluated customers and crewmembers, and those needing additional care were transported to a local hospital."
Local media outlets quoted Tampa Fire Rescue as saying about 15 to 20 people were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
JetBlue did not say how many people were injured. The plane was removed from service for inspection, and the airline said it would conduct a full investigation to determine the cause.
"The safety of our customers and crewmembers is always our first priority, and we will work to support those involved," JetBlue said.
A JetBlue plane left Tampa later that Thursday evening, landing at New York’s LaGuardia airport.
Federal aviation officials have also launched an investigation.
Earlier this year, the bodies of two people were found in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue plane after it landed in Florida.
The two bodies were located in the wheel well of an Airbus A320 during a post-flight inspection in January.
Stowaways often use the wheel well of planes when attempting to smuggle themselves across flight routes, even though its considered extremely dangerous.
They risk being crushed by landing gear when it retracts after takeoff, as well as frostbite, and loss of consciousness. There have been several reports of stowaways falling to their death once the landing gear opens again.
There have been a number of serious aviation incidents this year due to turbulence or sudden drops in altitude.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), opens new tab flight in July from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Amsterdam which experienced severe turbulence that injured 25 people and was diverted to Minneapolis.
