By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The National Transportation Safety Board said it has opened an investigation into a JetBlue flight that experienced sudden severe turbulence and led to eight apparent injuries.
The incident occurred on Monday on JetBlue Flight 1256, an Airbus A320, near Jamaica while en route from Guayaquil, Ecuador to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the board said.
JetBlue said the seven customers and one inflight crew member were met by medical personnel and transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment and the flight landed safely.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was also investigating the flight. Serious injuries as a result of turbulence remain rare, according to FAA data. A total of four passengers and 13 crew were seriously injured in 2022 in U.S. passenger flights.
“JetBlue will work to support our customers and crewmembers,” a company spokesperson said. “The aircraft for this flight has been taken out of service for inspection.”
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese and Sonali Paul)
