MANASSAS, Va. — At least seven people were injured on a flight to Germany from Texas that had to be diverted to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on Wednesday night, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) confirmed.
Lufthansa flight 469 was headed to Frankfurt, Germany from Austin, Texas when it experienced "significant turbulence" at 37,000 feet altitude over Tennessee, the FAA said.
The pilot executed an emergency landing and the plane landed safely at Dulles around 9:10 p.m., MWAA said. They responded to Lufthansa's Airbus A330 and ended up having to transport seven people to local hospitals for treatment of injuries.
It wasn't clear how serious their injuries were.
A man who claimed his wife was on the plane told WUSA9 that the people injured weren't wearing seatbelts because the turbulence came as a surprise.
The FAA will investigate the incident.
Lufthansa provided the following statement to WUSA9 on Thursday afternoon:
"Lufthansa flight LH469 on March 1 from Austin, Texas (AUS) to Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) encountered brief but severe turbulence about 90 minutes after takeoff. The Lufthansa flight made an unscheduled landing at Washington Dulles Airport as a precautionary measure. After the Airbus A330-300 landed, affected passengers received medical attention. Lufthansa ground staff at Dulles are currently attending to the well-being of passengers and rebooking them accordingly. The company is currently reviewing the exact situation together with its own staff and with national and international authorities.
"Lufthansa regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers. The safety and well-being of passengers and crew members is Lufthansa's top priority at all times."
No other information was immediately available.
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