Four Alaska Airlines crew members were hospitalized after severe turbulence struck their Boeing 737 MAX on a flight from Seattle to Phoenix.
One passenger aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 700 was also injured during the midafternoon incident Thursday, but was treated at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and not hospitalized, Alaska Airlines said Saturday.
“Medical professionals met the aircraft at the gate, and several crew members and one guest received medical attention,” after the plane encountered “severe turbulence” at around 2:30 p.m Mountain Standard Time, an Alaska spokesperson said Saturday in an emailed statement.
The airline isn’t providing details about the severity of the crew members’ injuries or their hospitalization status “to protect their privacy,” according to Alaska.
“We are appreciative of our dedicated crew for their skill and professionalism in responding to this situation, and are supporting them as they seek additional medical attention,” the airline said in its statement, adding that it apologized “for any concern this experience may have caused our guests.”
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, which involved a Boeing 737 MAX 9, according to the agency’s website. The plane landed safely at around 3:10 p.m. following a report by the flight crew of a “medical emergency following severe turbulence,” the FAA said.
Thursday’s incident comes less than a week after a passenger on an Alaska Airlines 737 parked at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport opened the emergency exit and stepped onto the wing.
Airport officials said the woman became anxious as the aircraft, which had just arrived from Milwaukee, was unloading and she opened the emergency exit, according to a report by KOMO.
Emergency responders helped the woman off the wing and she was taken to a hospital for evaluation, KOMO reported.
— Paul Roberts, The Seattle Times
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