Thirty -eight people were injured in a United Airlines flight headed this week to Washington, DC, from Lagos, Nigeria, officials in Nigeria said after the plane experienced what the airline described as a “technical issue and an unexpected aircraft. “
Six people were treated in a hospital for their injuries, Nigerian authorities and the airline reported.
United described the injuries to the six people as “small”, although the Nigerian authorities described them as “serious”. Nigerian authorities also said that 32 others on the flight had minor injuries.
The videos and images on social media show the anxiety and disorder on the plane, with passengers talking to each other, as food and meal trays turn throughout the cabin.
United did not offer further details about what he said was a “technical issue” or the extent of the movement or any possible causes, but said the issue was investigated.
“We are working with air authorities in the US and Nigeria to understand the cause,” the airline said.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported questions to the airline and authorities in Nigeria.
The flight, which left Nigeria on Thursday night for Washington International Airport Dulles, was forced to return to Lagos for an urgent landing on Friday. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, had 245 passengers and 11 crew members on the boat.
The aircraft was flying over the Cinema coast when it returned to Nigeria, according to information from Flightradar24, a website gathering public information about aircraft locations, flight routes and altitude.
The Nigerian Federal Airport Authority told the social media that four passengers and two crew members suffered serious injuries. An additional 27 passengers and five crew members had minor injuries, the statement said. The nature of the injuries was not revealed.
“Those with minor injuries received first aid and were released immediately, while those with serious injuries stabilized and were taken to the Duchess Hospital in Ikeja,” located in the state of Lagos, the Authority said. He said the plane did not cause significant damage.
In a statement via email on Saturday, a United Airlines spokesman said the four passengers and two stewards had been discharged from the hospital.
The episode occurred about 90 minutes after take -off, according to Flightradar24 data, when Jet went down abruptly.
Jeff Guzzetti, a former accident researcher for the federal aviation administration and the National Transport Security Council, noted on Saturday the similarities between United Flight and an episode in March, when a Latam Airlines plane suddenly sank during a flight to Aquad of New Zealand, injuring dozens of passengers.
“The public may not know for a few weeks to a month, but the researchers will know within a few days,” Mr Guzzetti said of the cause. “They are going to download the recorder data flight and are going to interview the flight crew and also listen to Cockpit Voice Recorder.”
Anthony Brickhouse, Aerospace Professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, said that the episode “emphasizes the fact that passengers should stay in their seat belts as much as possible, even when Captain Captain turns off in the aircraft. the security belt light. “
