A United Airlines flight traveling from Lagos, Nigeria to Washington Dulles International Airport experienced a sudden and alarming in-flight jolt on Friday, leaving four passengers and two crew members injured. The incident led to chaos onboard, with trays, food, and other items scattered across the cabin. The airline confirmed that Flight 613 was forced to make an emergency return to Lagos, where the six injured individuals were rushed to a nearby hospital.
Despite the severity of the jolt, the airline clarified that it was not caused by turbulence. United Airlines is now collaborating with aviation authorities in both the United States and Nigeria to determine the cause of the incident.
Flight data from FlightRadar24 revealed that the aircraft made a sudden descent from cruising altitude about 93 minutes after takeoff, dropping approximately 1,000 feet in just one minute. This sudden change in altitude raised concerns, especially as the same flight was diverted earlier in the week. This has led to questions about whether the two events are connected.
The aircraft was carrying 245 passengers, eight flight attendants, and three pilots at the time of the incident. Fortunately, there were no fatalities reported. Michael Achimugu, director of public affairs at Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), confirmed that all those injured have since been treated and released from medical care.
United Airlines has arranged for affected passengers to be rebooked on alternative flights and accommodated them in hotels after the emergency landing.
This incident follows a similar occurrence involving a Boeing 787 last year, where a Latam Airlines flight experienced a mid-air dive, prompting Boeing to issue an advisory to airlines operating the Boeing 787 to inspect cockpit seat switches.
The investigation into the cause of this recent jolt continues, as authorities work to uncover whether mechanical issues or other factors contributed to the alarming descent.
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