Seven individuals sustained injuries after severe turbulence impacted a United Airlines flight en route from CancĂșn, Mexico, to Chicago.

The Boeing 737 made an emergency landing in Memphis, Tennessee.

The incident hospitalized one passenger.

Per CNN:

It marks the latest instance of turbulence disrupting a commercial flight in recent months, including a Singapore Airlines flight in May that saw one passenger killed and 71 people injured after encountering severe turbulence. Last week, two crew members on an EasyJet flight from Corfu, Greece, to London were injured when the plane experienced sudden turbulence, officials said. And last month 30 passengers were injured on an Air Europa flight from Madrid to Uruguay due to “strong turbulence,” the airline said.

“United flight 1196 diverted to Memphis this afternoon after encountering a brief period of severe turbulence while the seatbelt sign was on,” the airline said in a statement to CNN Wednesday. “Paramedics met the aircraft at the gate and transported one passenger to the hospital.”

The extent of that passenger’s injuries wasn’t known, the Memphis Fire Department said. Six others declined treatment.

There were 179 people on board, including seven crew members, according to United. After its stop in Memphis, the flight continued to O’Hare International Airport, where it arrived two hours late, according to aircraft tracking website FlightAware.

Fox Business reports:

Data from the flight tracking website FlightAware shows the plane circling briefly over northern Mississippi before landing in Memphis.

The FAA says its “crew reported severe turbulence over Louisiana” and that it is now investigating the matter.

The Memphis Fire Department said six people onboard the plane declined medical treatment after landing in Tennessee, according to The Associated Press. The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.

The incident comes as a study by the University of Reading in the U.K. has found that clear-air turbulence has increased in regions around the world. Over the North Atlantic, which is one of the busiest flight routes, the total annual duration of severe turbulence increased by 55% between 1979 and 2020.

 

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