Passengers On US Flight Hit By Turbulence Severely Injured: “Literally Like Matrix”

Several passengers on a US flight had to be carried off the aircraft on stretchers when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence just before landing. According to News Channel 8 affiliate WFLA, the incident happened on an Allegiant aircraft from Asheville to PIE with a destination of North Carolina. On Wednesday, July 12, an aircraft carrying 179 passengers and six crew members reportedly touched down at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport. When the aircraft landed, two flight attendants and two passengers were taken for treatment at a hospital after suffering significant injuries.

Passenger Paul Harris provided his own description of the trip with WFLA, claiming that he had never previously flown through such a sudden surge of turbulence. He remembered how the plane had dropped, causing a passenger seated next to him to strike the ceiling. “Turbulence appeared out of nowhere, followed by big, major turbulence. The aircraft seemed to have descended quite a bit. A woman in my row was among those who struck the roof, he said. He said that during the jarring occurrence, the airplane’s overhead bins opened. He said that when the cabinets finally shattered, they could not be closed.

Another passenger, Lisa Spriggs, who was later named, said that the turbulence was so intense that she observed a flight attendant being thrown about like Neo from the movie The Matrix. Lisa speculated that the crew member’s ankle could have been broken after seeing her go up and be slammed down quickly. Lisa told WFLA that the situation was “petrifying” and that “She was literally like Matrix.” observed her as she flew into the air and fell flat on her face. The passenger further said that another member of the staff accidentally shattered her ankle, leaving a protruding bone.

The airline verified in writing to News Channel 8 that the aircraft ultimately touched down properly and “taxied to the gate under its own power.” The airline indicated that they will keep looking into the issue to identify its underlying causes. In collaboration with the FAA and NTSB, we will continue to look into the event, and we’ll let you know as additional details become available. At this moment, no more information can be verified,” they said.

As soon as they arrived, paramedics evaluated the wounded patients and sent them to the hospital for further assessment.