Dozens Injured After Boeing Aircraft Suddenly Plunges in Mid-Air
Nearly 40 people were injured, with six seriously injured, when a Boeing aircraft operated by United Airlines suddenly plunged in mid-air, forcing the fight to make an emergency landing.
According to CNN, per FlightRadar24 data, the incident occurred just 93 minutes after Flight 613 departed from Nigeria on its way to Dulles International Airport in Washington DC on Friday. There had been 245 passengers, eight flight attendants, and three pilots on board; with 31 passengers and seven crew members sustaining minor injuries. Of those injured, four passengers and two crew members were hurt seriously enough to require hospitalization.
Video that has surfaced online shows the chaotic aftermath of the incident, in which food trays, meals, and personal items can be seen strewn about the floor of the cabin. "We dropped so suddenly that I hit my head on the ceiling," recalled one passenger, adding that it happened three times.
United Airlines Flight #UA613 Makes Emergency Landing in Lagos: Six Seriously Injured Amid Mid-Air Incident
— Antony Ochieng,KE✈️ (@Turbinetraveler) January 24, 2025
A United Airlines Boeing 787-8(N27903) Dreamliner, operating as flight UA613 from Lagos to Washington Dulles, was forced to return to Lagos after a mid-air technical issue… pic.twitter.com/FrHCjOpbN9
The cause of the disturbance is still unclear. United Airlines has ruled out severe turbulence and said that it is "working with aviation authorities in the US and Nigeria to understand the cause."
In a statement, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria said that a rescue team on the ground responded swiftly and were alert just four minutes after the pilot reported distress.
"Aviation medical ambulances transported the injured passengers—some to the MMA Clinic and others to the Headquarters Clinic," the statement read. "Those with minor injuries received first aid and were discharged immediately, while those with serious injuries were stabilized and transported to the Duchess Hospital in Ikeja. Some passengers were also taken to a hotel for accommodation. The aircraft itself did not sustain any damage."
PRESS RELEASE
— Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (@FAAN_Official) January 24, 2025
JANUARY 24, 2025 pic.twitter.com/gccTXcREPc
A spokesperson for United Airlines told CNN that all hospitalized passengers have since been released.