Several individuals aboard an Allegiant Air plane on Wednesday sustained a variety of injuries after the flight hit a rough patch en route to Florida.
The Allegiant Air flight, which departed from Asheville, North Carolina, for St.Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida, was carrying 185 individuals when the plane "experienced severe turbulence" at about 3:45 p.m. local time.
Citing tracker system FlightAware, US media reported the plane dropped more than 4,000 feet in less than a minute.
Lisa Spriggs a passenger aboard the flight, told media she witnessed a flight attendant being slammed onto the ground by the sheer force of the sudden descent.
"All of a sudden, we hit a small turbulence, and the stewardess beside us fell to the ground,” she recalled. "And then we hit a major turbulence, which was petrifying. And she was literally like 'The Matrix.' Watched her go up in the air and just land straight down."
Recording obtained from air traffic control saw one of the plane's pilot inform ground control that passengers sustained "multiple head injuries and one broken ankle."
A spokesperson for the budget US airline has stated that four individuals were treated for injuries once the plane was able to land without further issue. Among the injured were two travelers and two flight attendants.
An investigation into the incident remains ongoing.