Baby Flew Out of Parent's Arms During Turbulence

United flight into Montana has rocky descent
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 17, 2014 6:59 PM CST
Updated Feb 18, 2014 2:03 AM CST
Crew, Passengers Injured During United Turbulence
File photo of a United Airline jet.   (AP Photo/John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer)

Severe turbulence rocked a United Airlines jet out of Denver as it made its descent yesterday afternoon in Billings, Montana, and stories of just how chaotic things got are emerging. "There was a lot of screaming, a lot of hollering," says Flight 1676 passenger Bill Dahlin. Fox31 Denver reports that an infant was thrust from a parent's arms and landed two rows back; it was unharmed, though it took some time for the parent to locate the child. Dahlin tells KTVQ he heard a mother cry out for her baby, and saw something more painful: A woman whose head hit the ceiling so hard she cracked the overhead panel.

The Denver Post reports that 114 passengers and five crew were aboard; the airline says three crew members and two passengers were hospitalized, though all but one flight attendant had been released by late yesterday, per a United rep. NBC News reports that she is in critical condition. One passenger told the Post that the turbulence came suddenly, and was paired with a noisy "bang." "The sudden drop pulled everyone out of their seats, and I mean hard," he said. (More United Airlines stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X