38 wounded after ‘unexpected aircraft movement’ on a total flight

Out-and-eight people were wounded this week on a United Airlines flight on its way to Washington, DC, from Lagos, Nigeria, said Nigeria officials after the aircraft experienced what the airline described as “a technical problem and an unexpected aircraft movement. “

Six people were treated in a hospital for their injuries, the Nigerian authorities said and the airline.

United described the damage to the six people as “less”, though the Nigerian authorities described them as “serious.” The Nigerian authorities also said that 32 others on the flight had easier damage.

Video and pictures On social media Show distress and disorder in the aircraft, where passengers talking about each other, like food and meal trays, are stretched throughout the cabin.

United did not offer more details of what it said was a “technical problem” or about the extent of the movement or potential causes, but said the case was investigated.

“We cooperate with the aviation authorities in the US and Nigeria to understand the cause,” the airline said.

The federal aviation administration referred questions to the airline and the authorities of Nigeria.

The flight, which left Nigeria on Thursday night to Washington Dulles International Airport, was forced to return to Lagos for an emergency landing early on Friday. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, had 245 passengers and 11 crew members on board.

The plane flew over the Ivory Coast when it returned to Nigeria, according to Information from FlightTradar24A site that collects public information about airplanes, flights and height.

Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria said on social media That four passengers and two crew members had serious injuries. Another 27 passengers and five crew members had minor injuries, the statement states. The nature of the damage was not revealed.

“Those with minor injuries received first aid and were immediately discharged, while with serious injuries they were stabilized and transferred to the Duchess Hospital in Ikeja,” which is in the state of Lagos, the authority says. It said the aircraft had no major damage.

In an E -Mail statement on Saturday, a representative of United Airlines said the four passengers and two flying had been discharged from the hospital.

The episode happened approx. 90 minutes after starting Data from Flightradar24When the jet fell suddenly.

Jeff Guzzetti, a former accident investigator for the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board, noticed the similarities between United Flight and an episode in March when a Latam Airlines aircraft suddenly threw itself during a flight to Auckland, New Zealand injured dozens of Passengers.

“The public may not know for a few weeks to a month, but the investigators will know within a few days,” said Mr. Guzzetti about the cause. “They want to download the flight data recorder and they will interview the flight crew and also listen to the cockpit voice recorder.”

Anthony BrickHouse, professor of aviation safety at embryo-riddle aeronautical university in Daytona Beach, Fla., Said the episode “emphasizes the fact that passengers have to stay in their safety harnesses as much as possible on aircraft, even when the captain goes off for The seat belt light. “