Strong winds forced a United Airlines flight from Tel-Aviv, which was intended for Newark Airport, to instead land at New York Stewart International Airport in Orange County on Friday, officials confirmed.
The flight tracking site, FlightAware shows that the plane approached Newark airport before circling back North and landing at New York International.
“We responded to NY International Airport with 10 EMS units to evaluate passengers on a United flight that had hit turbulence,” New Windsor EMS Chief Michael Bigg told The Daily Beast, adding that “7 passengers were taken to a local hospital and others were evaluated for other medical concerns.”
Westchester News 12 reported that seven passengers were then transported by New Windsor EMS to Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall hospital, while 15 received treatment onsite. No serious injuries were reported. New Windsor EMS said that multiple people were treated for motion sickness, and others described feeling nauseated and had chest pains.
The FAA told Westchester News 12 that the flight landed safely around 6:45 p.m. local time on Friday after the crew reported a passenger medical emergency. The FAA will investigate.
“Earlier today, a United Airlines flight was diverted from Newark Airport in New Jersey to Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, New York due to high winds and turbulence,” County Executive of Orange County, NY, Steve Neuhaus said in a post to Facebook.
“Upon arrival, the Stewart Air National Guard Fire Department and Emergency Services, along with Port Authority, County and local municipal first responders assessed the condition of approximately 200 passengers. Some were transported to local hospitals for evaluation and the rest were transported back to Newark Airport. I want to thank all the first responders for their quick, efficient, and professional action. Their collaborative efforts on this Good Friday evening helped alleviate the stress and difficulty of a challenging situation. While no passengers experienced serious injuries, we wish them all speedy recoveries and safe travels.”
In a statement to The Daily Beast, United Airlines said: “On Friday, United flight 85 landed at Stewart International Airport (SWF) after reported high winds at Newark. One passenger deplaned due to a medical incident, and a few other customers were seen by medical personnel for possible motion sickness. The flight refueled and continued to Newark tonight.”
On Thursday, another United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Denver after its crew said there was an issue with one of the engines. The incidents are just the latest in a series of recent problematic flights involving the airline.
This post was originally published on Daily Beast
