Cancun, Q.R. — At least three passengers were hospitalized from a JetBlue Cancun to New Jersey flight Thursday. An ambulance met the plane at a Florida airport after being diverted for an emergency landing.
The plane, which had left Cancun bound for New Jersey, made the emergency landing after experiencing a sudden drop in altitude. The plane landed in Tampa where it was met by emergency services.
According to Tampa Fire Rescue, between 15 to 20 people were evaluated with some being transferred to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The exact number of injured has not been confirmed, however, at least three people are believed to have received lacerations.
Air traffic audio from LiveATC.net recorded a call that said “we’ve got at least three people injured. It seems like maybe a laceration in the head.”
The JetBlue flight from Cancun was heading to Newark when the plane lost altitude. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that due to the drop, the Airbus A320 was diverted to Tampa around 2:00 p.m.
In a brief statement, JetBlue said the plane was taken out of service to be inspected. “We will 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.”
The FAA reported that they are still investigating what caused the plane to lose altitude during the Thursday afternoon flight.
